Kismetic Starlight
by YetAnotherFan2010
Summary: Alice POV of Twilight. Alice's love for Jasper and Jasper's secret anniversary gift. Alice having a best friend for the first time and her relationship with her family. and of course, some Edward&Bella in the mix!
1. Chapter 1

**This is the "Twilight" and "Midnight Sun" of Alice. Hope you enjoy!**

**ALL CHARACTERS BELONG TO STEPHANIE MEYER. Some of the dialogue in this story is directly taken from "Twilight" and "Midnight Sun".**

**This is my first written story that I share with people. So please, review it. Thanks!**

CHAPTER 1:

BLOODLUST

The sun was rising in Forks, Washington. Rosalie, my beautiful Barbie blond sister, and I disappeared in our luxurious, but fundamental, bathroom for our daily morning makeover. We both gave ourselves two hours each morning to get ready for high school. Sometimes, when in the mood, we could spend up to five hours pampering ourselves. It was a chance we had all the time in the world and that we didn't need our beauty sleep to look gorgeous. Our very nature as vampires made us strikingly good-looking. Our facial lines were smooth as marble and our skin was a perfectly shiny white cream. And our honey gold eyes, when well fed, made us look like Greek gods.

While trying on a few dozen new clothes I bought last week, I experimented to match the perfect outfit for the day, even though it was just another day at Forks High. Sometimes life seemed like a re-run, attending high school for the hundredth time. Good thing fashion changed continually. Keeping up with the new trend, and the best fashion of the year, was a full-time occupation.

When I finally chose my perfect attire for the day and picked the clothes for my two brothers Edward and Emmett as well as for my husband Jasper, I looked curiously into the future to see what good today would bring. Visions of the future always came to me naturally and I was thankful to be gifted so I could help and give back to my adopted family, who were generous enough to accept my Jasper and me as their own. I mainly used my visions to foreshadow any danger coming our way, such as dangerous vampires passing by or suspicious humans who might guess our true identity.

Vision 1: _It will be raining all day_, which was the norm for Forks. The bad weather of Forks was the main reason our family managed to have a somewhat normal life here. Vampires can't go out on sunny days without exposing our true identity. Unlike myth, the sun won't kill us. Our marble skin reflects the light of the sun and appears to be made out of millions of shining crystals.

Vision 2: _A new girl named Isabella Swan, the chief's daughter, will start school today and will generate excitement for the other humans._ That was no news either. People had been talking about this girl's arrival for the past month. Forks would most definitely be described as a boring town. A new face was rare, except the occasional hiker that stopped by. Therefore, a new resident, nonetheless the estranged daughter of our kind-hearted but solitary chief of police, was definitely considered an exciting event.

Vision 3: _Ah! My latest purchase will arrive this afternoon: new ties for Carlisle, my father figure. And, most importantly, these stunning, trendy, shoes I ordered two weeks ago, shipped all the way from Italy, are also arriving today!_ At last, I have something to look forward to.

What I hated the most about our obligation to pretend to be human teenagers was not the repetitive motions we had to fake day after day, or the boring lectures from our teachers, but the fact that I was not allowed to wear my most precious collection of clothing for fear to attract too much curiosity from our fellow classmates. Similarly, my siblings Rosalie and Edward were not allowed to showcase their collection of luxurious cars in town. This made everything harder when preparing my outfits. The clothes obviously had to be high quality and chic as well as casual and inconspicuous.

I heard Edward and Emmett heading down the stairs. It was already time to go to school. I went back to my bedroom. Jasper, my soul mate, was sitting down on the edge of our bed, all dressed in the gorgeous new blouse I got him. His head was tilted down and he was staring at his hands, motionless. I could see his muscles flexed tightly. My poor Jasper! His constant struggle to fit into our family's lifestyle was heartbreaking. He wanted to be strong but had such a hard time controlling his vampire instincts for human blood. Our family only drank blood from animals and never hurt humans. Our unusual diet marked us as outcast in the vampire world. While other vampires had crimson eyes, ours were golden. In his life before we found each other, Jasper's instincts were his most precious assets, permitting him to survive an atrocious and deadly war in the South. Unfortunately, old scars, both physical and mental, hindered him from effectively stick to our vegetarian diet. After drinking the blood of so many humans, the withdrawal was gut wrenching. It was physically painful to deny his body what it longed for the most. The burn inside the throat was unbearable. I knew my love for him was the only strength that kept him from killing our classmates. I kneeled down across from him, taking his perfectly shaped hands in mine. I looked up at him and tighten my hold of his hands. Finally, his gaze met mine. We looked into each other's eyes in silence, communicating our love for each other. I kept my eyes locked in his, showing him my support and reassuring him. When I finally noticed in his eyes that he regained his strength to go through the day, I rose up effortlessly and Jasper followed my lead, standing up as well.

We both glided silently out of our bedroom towards the car, where Edward, Emmett and Rosalie were waiting for us. Rosalie was contemplating her perfect self in the mirror while Emmett and Edward discussed last evening's wrestle match Emmett lost to Jasper. Emmett was analyzing every wrong moves he made, definitely frustrated that his superior strength was not sufficient to win over the proficient soldier.

Suddenly, I felt electricity warming my body. Jasper's arm barely touched mine but his proximity reminded me of last night. What a shame we had to pause our lovemaking to go to school and pretend to be human. I allowed my eyes to glance at his tender, strong arm, which was engraved with scars of his past. My eyes continued down at his hand, which had brushed my spiky hair affectionately last night. Jasper, who always knew people's emotions, picked up on mine right away. He looked at me with a smirk.

" We could ditch school today. We already have a few Masters degrees, I don't think we really need another high school diploma!"

I smiled back.

" If only Carlisle would let us!"

It was lunchtime for the humans. The morning at school had been uneventful and slow. Class hours were the closest to sleeping I experienced. However, I always tried to stay aware of my surrounding to keep an eye on Jasper, checking every so often his near future to make sure he wouldn't jump on any of the humans around him. I worried about him and the pain he endured every day. I wished I could help him. I went and sat with the rest of my family at our usual table in the cafeteria. We all served ourselves some human food on a tray to blend in with the rest of the students. However, our efforts to assimilate were not very effective. Our classmates didn't socialize with us. They all shared a curiosity towards us and found us strikingly good-looking. However, their subconscious warned them to not get closer. After all, we were extremely dangerous predators. At the table, we all gazed in different directions, bored at of our minds.

I discretely glanced at Jasper. He looked tense. My concern for my soul mate was irritating so I dared to bother Edward, my mind-reading brother, for more insight. Edward and I were the only two in our family with gifts, which connected us at a deeper level. I cared for him with all my heart. I would never admit it out loud, but he was my favorite sibling. Edward was witty, intelligent, extremely well mannered, selfless and a real perfectionist, which could be annoying at time. Over the last decades, he also had become a loner. He was the only one of us who was single, not that females were not interested in him. He was, after all, quite perfect, inside and out. But Edward never felt the sparkles that we all experienced when we found our other half. He never felt his insides changed forever by love. My family and I worried more than once about our Edward's loneliness but tried really hard to not think about it in front of him. It was ironic that the person who wished to be left alone the most was stuck with a gift of constantly hearing everybody's thoughts.

_Edward! _I called in my head.

I knew he heard me even though he didn't show any sign of acknowledgement. Edward and I were good at these private conversations.

_How is he holding up?_

Edward ever slightly frowned.

Instantly, I froze with panic. What has he heard? What was Jasper planning? I glanced once again at Jasper. He was still holding himself in the same position as before, tensed and sad but nothing more. He didn't look ready to launch himself on any of these hundreds innocent preys. I quickly searched in my visions for a clue on Jasper's plans.

_Is there any danger?_

Edward slowly turned his head to the left and then to the right, making sure none of our siblings noticed him shaking his head no.

No, there was no danger. I momentarily relaxed.

_Let me know if it gets too bad. _

Edward looked up to the ceiling and back down. This was his way to say "yes".

My worry grew back. There were no danger but Jasper was suffering. I couldn't stand to see him in pain.

_Thanks for doing this, _I mentally told Edward.

I knew he was glad he didn't have to answer back, but I was sincerely grateful that he could help. I also understood the inconvenience it caused Edward. We all had to fight back our vampire instincts and the thirst that burned down our throat when a human walked too close. Edward listening to Jasper's struggle only multiplied Edward's own desire for human blood.

At that moment, a small girl paused at the end of the closest table to ours to talk to a friend. She tossed her short, sandy hair, running her fingers through it. The heater blew her scent in our direction. Her smell was sweet. I felt an excess flow of venom in my mouth. I easily ignored the desire to taste her blood. A flash of Jasper burying his teeth deep into the girl's throat, draining her body from her blood popped up in my head. Before I could even react, I felt Edward kick Jasper under the table. I smiled encouragingly at Jasper but he was looking down, embarrassed.

"Sorry", he mumbled.

I reached for his hand, "You weren't going to do anything."

Both Edward and Jasper knew me too well to believe me. Jasper was infuriated with himself. I could feel anger, shame and self-disgust boiling inside of him.

"It helps a little if you think of them as people. Her name is Whitney. She has a baby sister she adores. Her mother invited mother to that garden party, do you remember?"

Jasper was not relaxing.

" I know who she is", he snapped at me before turning away.

I could sense that Jasper needed space. He didn't like to be weak. Jasper had been one of the most powerful and talented solder in his past life, and couldn't bear to not succeed at something. In addition, he sensed that I was worried and upset. This made him hate himself even more. Jasper loved me more than anything, and to see me suffer, because of him worst of all, pained him further. I sighed silently and stood. I took my tray, piled up with untouched human food, and walked to the garbage before heading outside.

I felt helpless. What if Jasper never got used to this vegetarian lifestyle? I didn't want him to continue suffering. Maybe we would need to leave, go somewhere else, where we wouldn't put the rest of the family in danger of exposure. Leaving or not, tonight I'd take Jasper hunting again. It had been two weeks since our last meal and this was getting way too risky to wait longer.

The bell rang and I got up to go to my class.

During class, I had a hard time being aware of my present location. I was focusing on the future again, hoping to find a place where Jasper and I would find peaceful happiness. I couldn't see anything and I knew the reason why. I could only see the future once the decisions were made, but I hadn't decided yet on what to do to soothe Jasper's pain. Maybe we should move to an isolated place where there were no humans around, so that Jasper wouldn't be tempted. My heart ached. I would miss my family. Rosalie, my only sister, my only girlfriend. And Emmett, the easy-going, immature, muscle-man of a big brother, and Carlisle and Esme, the only parents I ever had. And of course Edward… I didn't know if I could handle being separated from them. But I would sacrifice anything to make life easier for Jasper. He was my life. Simultaneously, I closely concentrated on Jasper's every choices during the afternoon but there was no sign of danger. Jasper was a lot stronger than he expected it.

At last, the final bell of the day rang. I let a sigh of relief out: another day with no deadly incident. I quickly packed my books and walked out of the classroom. Jasper was waiting for me, leaning against the wall opposite the door. I hurried to him. He looked better, more relaxed. He smiled at me and I felt my insides melt.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his eyes meeting mine.

I smiled back at him. "There's nothing to be sorry about."

He reached for my hand and we walked toward the parking lot. Suddenly, an horrendous image filled my head: Edward slamming the secretary's head on her desk with inhuman force before leaping toward Isabella Swan, the new girl in school, and drinking her blood with intense satisfaction.

" What happened?" asked Jasper in panic.

I shook my head and looked up at him, speechless. I was in shock.

"Alice! Tell me what you saw?" He could sense my panic.

But as quickly as the image came to me, it disappeared again.

"Edward," is all I could say.

We sped to the car, where Emmett and Rosalie were already waiting in the back seat of our Volvo, embraced in each other's arms, gazing deep into each other's eyes. I sat in the front seat, still trying to find another clue to Edward's future. Jasper, seating behind me, sensed my alarm and put a hand on my shoulder, calming me down at once. Jasper also had a talent. He could sense and control people's emotions, which was very useful in a house full of vampires. He could calm everybody down in an instant, avoiding escalating conflicts from exploding. I could see now that Edward didn't go through with his plan of killing them. He made the choice to wait for later.

Later?!

Why in the world was Edward planning on killing the new girl?

We all could see Edward now, flying across the parking lot toward the shiny Volvo in inhuman speed, agony showing on his face. I wondered what was going on through his mind. Edward came to sit in the driver's seat, avoiding all of our concerned glares. Edward was gasping for air as if he had been suffocating.

"Edward?" I asked, alarmed.

Edward didn't answer. He just shook his head, as if to clear his mind.

"What the hell happened to you?" Emmett demanded, unaware of how close Edward had been to killing two innocent people a few minutes before.

Edward continued to ignore us, and threw the car in reverse, swung the car around and accelerated. He reached seventy before he made the corner. He was running away from his bloodlust. Rosalie, Emmett and Jasper were staring at me for clarification. I simply shrugged. There was nothing to say, yet. I wished I could see the past to understand what happened after lunch. How did he get so close to killing two people without me getting a vision of it earlier? I started to feel guilty. I spent all of my time worrying about Jasper, while Edward needed my help.

I needed to know what happened and what was going to happen. Edward wasn't going to tell me. I looked ahead in the future and saw Edward traveling somewhere, away from Forks and us.

"You're leaving?" I whispered.

The others turned away from me to stare at Edward.

"Am I?"

At that instant, different images flowed in my head. Bloody images. Isabella Swan lying lifeless in her bedroom. Edward's eyes glowing crimson with fresh human blood.

"Oh," I gasped.

His plans were getting clearer. He was picturing the inside of Chief Swan's house, seeing the girl standing in the kitchen, remembering the strong smell of her attractively sweet blood.

"Stop!" Edward groaned. Seeing the images of his plans materialized in my head was too much for him to handle.

"Sorry," I whispered.

The visions changed again. Edward didn't want to kill her and tried his best to come up with different options. I could see now an empty highway at night, the trees beside it coated in snow, flashing by at almost two hundred miles per hour. He made up his mind. He was leaving before he would disappoint Carlisle and kill the poor girl.

"I'll miss you. No matter how short a time you're gone."

Neither Edward nor I knew the specifics of his trip yet. Edward was at a complete loss. He didn't know what to do next. So I took charge. We were almost to the turn off onto the long drive that led to our home. Edward couldn't afford to waste anymore time or he might change his mind once again and go to the Swan residence. The scent of this girl seemed to be irresistible to him. He needed to talk to Carlisle at once.

" Drop us here. You should tell Carlisle yourself."

Edward obeyed and the car squealed to a sudden stop. Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper got out. I knew they would interrogate me as soon as I got out. I faced Edward, who still looked in pain.

"You will do the right thing. She's Charlie Swan's only family. It would kill him too." I warned him.

"Yes," was all he said.

I joined the others, anxious of what would happen next. They all looked at me impatiently and perplexed.

"I'll explain inside. Esme needs to hear this as well."

We ran home through the woods. We heard the Volvo speeding back to Forks. I could see that his mind wasn't entirely made. His blood lust telling him to go find Isabella, while his conscious begged for him to go see his father at the hospital where he worked.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2:

ISABELLA

The house had been lifeless since Edward left for Denali, where Tanya's coven resided. Tanya and her sisters were considered our extended family, who were vampires also following a vegetarian diet.

Esme sat motionless day and night, staring out the window, hoping to see a silhouette in the far of her returning son. She was heartbroken. Long ago, she had already lost a son, and her dead heart was too scarred to endure this new loss. Carlisle, who tried to be patient and positive, worked longer shifts at the hospital. He couldn't bear to see his wife mope all day. Rosalie was annoyed that a little human girl had been able to disturb our family and the little peace we had been able to create in Forks. Rosalie couldn't understand why this particular girl had affected Edward in such extremes. Emmett was the only one who didn't seem affected by the situation. He missed Edward, of course, but also thought that Edward was a coward for running away. Emmett argued that if Isabella's scent was so appealing, Edward should've gone through with his plan of killing her. Jasper kept quiet and gave me space so I could focus on Edward's future. My family stopped asking me for updates but I could see in their eyes that they were waiting for me to see Edward coming back home. Unfortunately, Edward seemed extremely indecisive. I could only get blurry images of him wandering in different places.

At school, my focus shifted from Jasper to the new girl: Isabelle Swan. People called her Bella. After the incident with Edward, Carlisle suggested we keep an eye on her to make sure she hadn't figured out our true nature. Edward had explained to Carlisle that the day he met Isabella in biology class, he was so close to killing her in front of everybody, he must've looked extremely frightening to her. Edward explained that her scent brought the vampire out of him and made it impossible to control himself. Isabella was his perfect brand of blood. Many vampires, including Emmett and Jasper, have encountered the scent so irresistible of a blood perfectly balanced for the pleasure of one vampire. Each human have a different fragrance, with some more appealing, and some exceptionally alluring. Luckily, I had never found my brand of blood. I didn't think I would be able to resist the temptation. I wasn't as strong nor as righteous as Edward.

The human girl was quiet, and fair skin with a heart-shaped face. She was shy, blushing easily and talking in a low voice. She dressed in boring clothes that made her no justice. I tried to ignore her fashion faux-pas, even though it was hurting me to see anybody wearing such hideous clothes. She was pretty, even without any makeup and her poor choice of clothing. However, I could sense from her simplistic outfits, and her slightly hunched shoulders that she preferred to be unnoticed, away from the center of attention. But at Forks High, anything new in town would be the center of attention. And Bella was the new shiny toy at school. Girls wanted to become friends with her, and boys wanted to date her. Everybody looked at her when she passed by. Everybody tried to talk to her.

During lunch, Isabella sat with her new group of friends. She integrated easily. However, she seemed remote from the loud group. Her thoughts seemed to be focused on something else. At times, her glances would linger toward our table. She was curious of who or what we were, but there seemed to be no fear in her eyes. It almost seemed like she was looking for Edward, hoping he would come back.

"Ugh Alice, how can you spend so much time concentrating on this boring human girl," moaned Rosalie. " Give up. She hasn't said anything about the incident with the scary monster."

"Ah! I bet he wasn't even scary looking at all! I could've done a better job than that," exclaimed Emmett. "If it had been me, the girl would've been so terrified she would've had a nervous breakdown already!"

Rosalie smiled at her husband's comment. They both thought that Edward had overreacted and was acting like a child, running away at the first sign of weakness. I didn't care if he was weak or acting responsibly when he left, I wished we could find a way to get this girl to move back to her mom's in Phoenix so that Edward could come back home.

"How do we know she hasn't told anybody about it. We can't read minds. Edward was our lookout in case of exposure." I snapped at them.

" We don't have to read minds. Do you hear anybody talking about vampires? Our acute hearing abilities are sufficient to know there is no danger. And you haven't had any visions of the town spraying garlic and buying wooden sticks to come and kill us." Rosalie groaned.

Jasper stepped in right away and used his power to calm the situation, which was lucky because I was ready to snap Rosalie's head off.

A whole week passed and there was no change in Edward's future. He was still contemplating options, jumping from one idea to the next constantly. He was still at a loss. Every time Edward thought of coming back, Isabella's face popped up, and Edward was drinking her blood. He wasn't ready to face the girl. Esme kept on waiting for the return of her son. She looked at me every so often, hoping I had a new vision. I silently shook my head and Esme went back to staring out the window.

For the weekend, Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie decided to go on a hunting trip. I stayed home, close to Esme and Carlisle, in case I had new information about Edward.

On a starry night, the vision we were all waiting for finally came to me.

"He's coming home! Edward is coming home!" I rejoiced.

The following Monday, we were all back in school. As before. Except that now, I was concentrating on Edward's every move instead of Jasper's. In fact, Jasper suddenly seemed to handle being around humans very well, maybe because he was focusing on Edward as well. We all walked into the cafeteria in a close group, protecting Edward. Emmett was enjoying his role as a bodyguard way too much. Rosalie, on the other hand, seemed quite annoyed by the whole situation.

I was searching for visions of the future. Jasper held one cool hand lightly under my right elbow, guiding me to our table. His proximity was always reassuring.

Vision 1: _Bella will stare at us from the lunch line, which will make her look uneasy. And once again, she will look up at us from her table with her intense brown eyes._

Vision 2: _Emmett will throw a snowball at me during lunch._ I already had an image of it earlier and prepared my self, hiding a piece of snow in my pocket myself. This might be a good way to act normal, as typical high school students.

Gratefully, I saw no images of a dead innocent girl in the near future. Everything was fine. For now, at least.

" It's going to be okay." I informed them.

"Of course it is," grumbled Edward. He seemed irritated by our apprehension. I supposed he was right. Edward was a responsible man, or vampire. I would even say, he was thoroughly responsible. He wouldn't have come to school if he doubted his restraint.

" She's not here yet, but the way she's going to come in… she won't be downwind if we sit in our regular spot."

"Of course we'll sit in our regular spot. Stop it, Alice. You're getting on my nerves. I'll be absolutely fine."

I blinked once as Jasper helped me into my seat, and my eyes finally focused on Edward. He seemed relaxed and positive.

"Hmm, I think you're right."

"Of course I am!" Edward exclaimed impatiently.

But then, he grimaced. I wondered what passed by his head at that moment but I kept quiet. Edward was concentrating on people's thoughts to see if last's week incident with Bella had triggered new rumors about our family. Edward seemed confused about what he was, or wasn't, hearing.

"Anything new?" Jasper asked.

"Nothing. She must not have said anything."

"Maybe you're not as scary as you think you are," Emmett chuckled. " I bet I could have frightened her better than that."

Edward rolled his eyes and so did I. Emmett was proud of his strength, even though we all knew that he was more like a big teddy bear than a dangerous monster. But you still didn't want to get on his bad side.

"Wonder why…?" Emmett thought out loud. He was thinking again over Edward's revelation last night about Isabella's unique silence. Edward couldn't hear her thoughts. At all. This never happened before. Edward was extremely taken aback and frustrated by the situation. Carlisle was fascinated and started looking for answers in his books. The rest of us were just perplexed and maybe a little jealous too. It was uncomfortable having an intruder in your head all the time. It was hard to get any real privacy when your brother could hear, see, and feel every thought in your head.

"We've been over that. I don't know." Edward snapped.

"She's coming in."

Edward's body turned rigid.

"Try to look human." I murmured.

"Human, you say?" Emmett asked with a smirk on his face.

He held up his right fist, twisting his fingers to reveal the snowball I had foreseen in my visions. He had his eyes on Jasper, trying to fool me, but I knew the direction of his thoughts. When the ice chunk flew at me, I easily flicked it away with a casual flutter of my fingers. The ice ricocheted across the length of the cafeteria, too fast to be visible to human eyes, and shattered with a sharp crack against the brick wall. The brick cracked, too.

The students at that corner stared at the pile of broken ice on the floor, and then searched around for the offender. Of course, they didn't even think of looking all the way across the cafeteria toward our table. It was way too far.

" Very human, Emmett," Rosalie said sarcastically. " Why don't you punch through the wall while you're at it?"

"It would look more impressive if you did it, baby."

I ignored Emmett and Rosalie's rant. I was concentrating again. Edward wasn't hiding his tension well. He had a hideous fake grin fixed on his face, staring at us, while obviously listening to every word Bella was speaking. I glanced at her for a second. She looked like she was going to faint. Was it because Edward was back? Was she actually terrified of him? I didn't want this girl to start having anxiety attacks because of us. She looked so frail as it was.

Mmm, interesting… Why did I care what this girl think or feel? I hated her for pushing my brother away, and now, I felt bad if we were making her feel uncomfortable and scared…

Edward was taking short, uneven, breaths next to me. He must be worried to smell her. His face was slightly distorted by the effort he put on to control himself, or was it due to his frustration about not hearing her thoughts.

I could hear her speak too. She spoke in a quiet but clear voice. Jessica, one of Isabella's new friends, was worried about her sudden lack of appetite. The girl confirmed that she felt sick.

A vision of Isabella looking up at us in two minutes flashed in my head.

_She's going to look soon, act human. _I said in my head.

Edward clenched his teeth behind his grin. Emmett looked at his brother with amusement.

"Ease up, Edward. Honestly. So you kill one human. That's hardly the end of the world."

"You would know," Edward murmured.

"You've got to learn to get over things. Like I do. Eternity is a long time to wallow in guilt."

Edward had it with Emmett. He was losing his calm demeanor. And losing concentration was dangerous. Edward needed a diversion. I took out the small snowball I hid in my pocket earlier, and threw it at Emmett.

Emmett was taken by surprise. He blinked and then grinned.

" You asked for it," he said as he leaned across the table, toward me. He shook his ice-encrusted hair in my direction, splashing both Rosalie and I.

"Ew!" Rose complained.

I laughed, and everybody joined in. It was perfectly orchestrated. The timing had been successful. Bella looked at us and saw us all enjoying ourselves and acting quite human. Bella continued to look at us. We probably looked as ideal as a scene taken from a Hollywood movie. I kept laughing, and held my tray up as a shield. At that moment I heard Jessica again.

"Edward Cullen is staring at you," she whispered in Bella's ear.

I looked at Edward. His eyes were fixed on the girl. He was mesmerized, storing every detail of her features to memory and analyzing every expression and body movement she was making.

" He doesn't look angry, does he?" she whispered back.

So she was afraid of him.

I looked again at Edward. He didn't look angry, nor hungry. He looked curious and interested about the girl.

" I don't think he likes me," Bella admitted to Jessica.

Now, Jasper and Emmett were listening to the conversation as well. They were intrigued by Bella's confession. They were betting five grams to see if the girl would still be alive by sunset. Emmett said that Edward wasn't vampire enough to go through with it. Jasper believed Edward would give into his thirst. I gave a look at Jasper, annoyed. He winked at me.

"We could use the money for a trip to Paris," he chuckled.

I rolled my eyes. None of us needed more money. We had enough for more than eternity. Every so often, I used my visions to double our fortune in the stock market or to play the lottery.

" He's still staring at you," whispered Jessica, a slight hint of jealousy in her tone. Jessica had been infatuated with Edward ever since we moved to Forks three years ago. However, her forthright flirtation with Edward led to nothing. He ignored her just the same as he ignored any other female interested in him. But now he was staring at this delicate girl, more by interest than by thirst.

" Stop looking at him!" ordered Bella anxiously.

Jasper leaned closer to me.

" What's happening with Edward? He seems hypnotized," he whispered in my ear.

I shrugged and glanced once more at Edward, whose eyes were fixed at the girl's table. I then looked at Jasper who had a smirk on his face. I gently pressed my hand on his cheek. His eyes met mine. If I still had a heart, I believe it would have exploded with joy and love. Having this incredible, understanding, sexy man looking at me with such strong passion was magical. How I loved him.

" I'm sorry I spend so much time focused on Edward," I said.

" This is why I love you. Because you care so much for the people around you, and you'll do anything to make sure they're safe and sound. I'm amazed everyday by how big your heart is"

"I don't have a heart my dear."

"Metaphorically speaking of course." He gazed into my sparkling eyes.

I smiled back at my husband. He leaned in and softly kissed me.

When the lunch period ended, Rosalie, Emmett, Jasper and I waited anxiously for Edward's next move. He had biology next, which was not only the class he had with Bella but also the class he shared a desk with her. We all wondered if he should not skip the class instead of trying to prove that he was stronger than his vampire instincts. I could sense him deliberating as well. I looked forward in the near future and saw no bloody incident. I saw Edward sitting uncomfortably next to the girl, who was looking intently ahead, avoiding his deep stare. I could also see that Edward was not breathing at all.

"I…think it's okay," I said, sounding more hesitant than I wished. " Your mind is set. I think you'll make it through the hour." I added, trying to sound more confident.

The future was an impossible thing to rely on. The future could change any instant, as quickly as a mind could change. Jasper sensed my concern.

"Why push it, Edward?" he intervened. "Go home. Take it slow," he added, feeling a little reassured that he wasn't the only one suffering from the smell of human blood.

"What's the big deal? Either he will or he won't kill her. Might as well get it over with, either way," groaned Emmett impatiently.

Rosalie let go of Emmett's hand and crossed her arms, moping.

"I don't want to move yet! I don't want to start over," whined Rosalie. "We're almost out of high school, Emmett. Finally!"

A new image of the future revealed itself in my head, more concrete than the one before. Edward was still sitting next to Bella, but he decided to talk to her, and he seemed genuinely interested in her responses. Edward was surprisingly behaving like a real human. None of us ever had a long sincere conversation with a classmate, they were so plain and immature.

"No, Rose, I think it really will be okay," I reassured. " It's firming up. It's ninety-three percent sure that nothing bad will happen if he goes to class."

Edward and I both looked at each other inquisitively. I wondered what changed in his mind that made my vision more secure. Edward seemed to be wondering if his thoughts were strong enough to restrain him from killing the girl.

"Go to class," Edward ordered.

We obeyed and headed to our respective classes. Emmett and I had class together. We sat next to each other, in the back of the room.

" So you really think it's gonna be okay?" Emmett asked jokingly, as if we were talking about a baseball game.

"You know I can't be certain. But Edward is fighting his urge extremely hard," I said. " And you should stop acting like a jerk around him! It's not helping. He's really suffering. It's not a joke! And think of what Rosalie said about moving again and starting all over again if he mistakenly…" I couldn't finish my sentence. There were too many students around us. I opened my book a little too briskly and the hard cover ripped. I discreetly hid the cover under my chair while Emmett was trying to hold in a laugh. The teacher started the lesson.

The time was moving extremely slow. I was anxious for the period to end, to know for sure that Edward survived the hour next to Bella's extremely potent scent and the warmth of her pulse in the air. Then, in the middle of the teacher's lecture on one of Shakespeare's prose, I saw the image I had feared. I saw Edward inhaling and accidentally tasting Bella's scent on his tongue. In a fraction of second, Edward's throat was in flames again. His craving was uncontrollable. At this exact moment, I got up, muttered that I wasn't feeling well, and left the classroom. Emmett shot me a concern look, wondering if he should follow me. I barely shook my head but he understood and stayed put.

As soon as I was out, the vision changed again. Edward had regained control and was talking to the girl again. I was out of class anyway, so I walked to the science building and discreetly glanced into the classroom to see what Edward and Bella were doing. I could see Bella looking at Edward with her face gone pale. Edward, whose body was rigid under his restraint from leaping at her, looked up at her with warm sparkly eyes. Bella went from white to red, causing her blood to swirl under her transparent skin. She did look delicious indeed. Edward quickly looked away. I could see him wincing as the thirst was burning inside of him. I was extremely impressed. I always looked up to Edward. I knew he was great. But this was beyond great, this was impossible. Edward was doing the impossible by sitting next to this girl, and talking to her, and acting quite normal, while fighting burning hell on the inside simultaneously.

I left the science building and walked through the hallway. I was pensive. I wondered what all this meant. Edward's future was a blur since this girl moved to Forks, changing all the time, with nothing clear in sight. Edward had always been the most stable one, his future always solid and unvarying. Edward did not have any changes in his life for the past seventy years. And now, it seemed like nothing was secured anymore, as if he were at a crossroad and had to make a decision, which he hasn't made yet.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3:

PHENOMENON

It must have been around eleven at night. The house was serene. We were all submerged in quiet activities. Emmett and Jasper were playing a game of chess, while Rosalie, Esme and I were gathered around the computer to check out furniture on line in order to decorate Rosalie and Emmett's loft in London. They had bought the place twenty years ago while traveling in Europe but hadn't taken the time to furnish it yet. However, since they were both pretending to be seniors now and could leave town next year pretending to attend college, they decided they would spend some time in London.

I was really excited about our new project. Home design was almost as much fun as fashion. Esme and I had just had finished remodeling the kitchen of our current house, which was kind of a joke since, as vampires, we had no necessity in owning a kitchen. Rosalie came up with the idea of this endeavor because she was getting bored now that she finished rebuilding an old Mercedes she owned. To say the least, we were all eager to tackle a new project.

Edward and Carlisle passed by us in silence and stepped out of the house. I could hear the leaves buzzing dreadfully against the fierce wind blowing through the trees. It was a cold night.

" Are they going hunting again?" murmured Esme.

" If Edward keeps hunting so much, he'll blow up and explode," said Rosalie. "No healthy vampire can drink that much blood and still be able to move. It's disgusting!"

I was ready to argue back, knowing far well that he was being responsible and taking extreme precautions to not kill Bella, but Esme put her hand on my shoulder to calm me down. She might not have Jasper's ability to control emotions, but she had the motherly touch that made us listen. And so I took a deep breath and swallowed my anger. Esme might not be our biological mother but she was nevertheless our mother. She cared and loved us all more than herself, and this situation with Edward was breaking her heart. She looked at me and then at Rosalie with tender eyes.

"Since we are talking about Edward, I would like to mention some ideas I came up with. I think…I think it is best if we all relocate."

Rosalie rose from her chair at once and was out of sight in a fraction of a second. Esme's eyes followed Rosalie up to the third floor.

"I agree with you mom, it would be best. However," I started to say when Rosalie interrupted from upstairs.

"Why is Edward's happiness more important than ours! It's not fair!" she yelled from upstairs.

There was no need in screaming since our hearing abilities were so acute. And so I hoped that Edward and Carlisle were far away from home. I wouldn't want Edward to hear this argument.

Emmett looked up at his wife, holding his knight in his right hand.

"Babe, calm down. This is not about you, nor is it just about Edward. It's about the whole family. And _our_ brother wants to kill this girl, who's the chief of police's daughter, and our identity could be revealed."

"And your brother is suffering here. He needs our support," Esme continued.

"Aaarrrrgh!!! First let's all support Jasper, and now Edward! When is it going to stop!"

Jasper looked down at the chess game, embarrassed by his reputation. Emmett put his knight back down on the board, climbed up the stairs and approached Rosalie carefully.

"Babe, it's okay. We'll find a solution."

Emmett spread his arms towards her and leaned closer to embrace her. Rosalie pushed Emmett back forcefully and he flew down the stairs head first, and landed two floors down, smashing the last step.

"Here's a solution for all of you. I'll go kill this Isabella girl so that we can forget about all of this and go back to our comfortable life."

"Ouch!" Emmett whined, rubbing his head. "You know what? You're really acting like a selfish little spoiled brat! Act your age for god sake, you're almost eighty!"

Jasper laughed at that comment. Rosalie went back to her room and locked herself inside.

"Emmett, are you alright?" Esme asked. She was now sitting on the stairs, next to Emmett. She discretely examined the damage made to the last step, but didn't mention anything about the destruction Rosalie caused.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered.

I walked toward them and sat on Jasper's lap.

"This is tearing our family apart." Esme whispered.

"Anyway, we are not leaving Forks," I said matter-of-factly. " It would upset Edward too much if he was the cause for our relocation. You know how guilty he feels to burden the family. This would be too much. We can't leave."

"So what are we doing?" Jasper asked.

"We will wait to see what Edward wants to do. It is his problem to solve and he is handling it."

Everybody stared at me, waiting for more. But I kept silent.

"How?" Emmett asked. "How is he handling it?"

I shrugged. I didn't know how he was going to handle it. All I had were small visions of Edward and the girl. Sometimes they were beautiful glimpses of laughter; sometimes they were nightmares of blood dripping down the girl's neck. But in all of them, Edward was here with the girl. None of it seemed to make sense. But it was Edward's future and we were not meant to interfere with it.

"You're right, Alice," said Esme. " Edward is bright and strong, and he knows he can ask for help if he needs it. So here it is. We will let him handle it. We will be patient and supportive, and we will not pressure him with what we think is best." The lines on her forehead wrinkled slightly, her doubts and worries coming up to the surface for just a few seconds. Then, the lines ironed out. She smiled and added: "Edward can handle this."

Emmett, Jasper and I nodded. All trying to hide our own doubts and worries.

Emmett excused himself and went back upstairs to reconcile with Rosalie. Esme went outside to get some fresh air. I stayed on Jasper's lap, his arms holding me tight. His breath tickled the back of my neck. He came closer and kissed my bare shoulder, and then he secured my face in his two hands and kissed me. I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him back. He got up, carrying me in his muscular arms and brought me up the stairs to the third floor, down the hallway, to our room.

It was about five in the morning when Jasper and I laid down on the bed, out of breath, which was not vampirely possible. My hands were on my stomach, which was filling up with unnecessary oxygen and going back down, exhaling it all out again. I was gazing up at the ceiling, smiling in ecstasy. I could hear Jasper's deep breathing next to me. I rolled onto my side and faced Jasper, who was still on his back, his arms bent under his head. My heart leaped at this beautiful sight. His eyes were closed and he had a big smile on his face.

"I love you," I whispered.

"I love you too," he replied.

I got up to start my daily morning makeover. I stepped into my gorgeous bathroom when I suddenly had a new vision of Edward. He decided to leave again. This decision must have happened while talking to Carlisle during their hunting trip. My inside ached. I didn't want him to leave again. It had been painful enough the first time.

Another vision suggested that he would come back soon from his hunting trip to get ready for school. He wasn't leaving today.

I got ready faster than usual and went to wait for him at the top of the stairs on the third floor. When he came in, he saw me right away.

_You're leaving again,_ I moaned.

He nodded reluctantly.

_I can't see where you're going this time._

"I don't know where I'm going yet," he whispered

_I want you to stay._

He shook his head.

_Maybe Jazz and I could come with you._

"They'll need you all the more, if I'm not here to watch out for them. And think of Esme. Would you take half her family away in one blow."

_You're going to make her so sad._

"I know. That's why you have to stay."

_That's not the same and you know it._

"Yes. But I have to do what's right."

_There are many right ways, and many wrong ways, though, aren't there?_

For a brief moment, I had another vision. Edward was looking along with me through my mind. It was an image of Edward mixed in with weird shadows. And then his skin was glittering in the sunlight of a small open meadow. I could see a silhouette next to him but, again, it was too indistinct to recognize the figure.

"I didn't catch much of that," Edward said.

_Me either. Your future is shifting around so much I can't keep up with any of it. I think, though… I think something is changing, though...Your life seems to be at a crossroads."_

He laughed grimly. "You do realize you sound like a bogus gypsy at a carnival now, right?"

I hated when he poked fun of me, even if it was just brotherly love. I stuck my tongue out at him, and got ready to leave when Edward hesitantly asked me if today was going to be all right. He seemed vulnerable and this thought broke my heart.

"I don't see you killing anyone today," I said.

"Thanks, Alice."

He looked very conflicted. He didn't want to leave either.

"Go get dressed. I won't say anything. I'll let you tell the others when you're ready." I told Edward.

I stood and darted back down the stairs. I felt sad that Edward would have to go.

_Miss you. Really._

It was a quiet ride to school. Jasper could tell that I was upset about something, but he knew that if I wanted to talk about it I would have done so already. I wanted to confide in him, but I promised Edward that I wouldn't spread the news of his leaving. I would wait until he would decide to share the news. Emmett and Rosalie had reconciled during the night and were acting very loving this morning. They were completely oblivious to the tension in the car, having another of their moments, gazing into each other's eyes with wonder. I was glad they were back to their normal selves.

When we reach the school, Edward looked around him in all directions, looking for the girl. But she had not arrived yet. She would arrive very soon in her red truck, driving extremely slowly. Edward got out and leaned against the Volvo to wait. Emmett and Rosalie walked away hand in hand. Jasper looked at me. I gestured him to go as well. I would stay with Edward. Jasper left, alone. Jasper was respectful of Edward's feelings and supportive of my attempt to soothe Edward's struggle, but I knew that he didn't fully understand Edward's fixation with a human, no matter how delicious she smelled.

The girl drove carefully into view. The road was slick with ice. She parked not too far away from us. Edward was still staring at her intently, waiting for her to notice him. Edward took a deep breath, filling up his lungs. I inhaled as well. Around school, the smell was never very appealing to me, even though they were hundreds of humans gathers, the scent of their blood was mixed with so many other disgusting odors. Teenagers not only sweat a lot, but they also sprayed themselves with cheap perfumes and colognes, as well as wore horrendous polyester and mixed cottons clothing. In addition, the smell of the cafeteria was overwhelming. There was nothing to excite my thirst around here. However, Edward was worried about Bella's scent awakening his own hunger. He was preparing in case her scent would blow in our direction. I returned my attention to the girl. Isabella was nervous about the ice. She got out of the truck with care, testing the slick ground before she put all her weight on it.

I had an image of Edward walking towards her and saying "Hi Bella" with a sincere smile.

So that's what was going on in his head. Edward wanted to talk to the girl. To become friends? That made no sense. He wanted her blood. But did he want more than her blood? I didn't understand. Edward, who was still next to me, laughed at something he only saw was funny. I stared at him inquisitively. Was he loosing his mind?

Suddenly, another vision swirled in my head. I saw Tyler Crowley, a classmate, take a bad turn into the parking lot at a terrifying high speed. This would send him skidding across a patch of ice…

"NO!" I gasped

Edward instantly turned to face me and scanned my thoughts to see the vision, and we watched the conclusion of the vision together, in which Tyler's van was hitting the ice at the worst possible angle and spinned across the lot. The van crushed Edward's girl. Blood was everywhere.

At this same moment, Tyler's van rounded the corner in reality, just as it had happened a second before in my head. The van was flying out of Tyler's control. The girl, standing next to her truck, looked up, bewildered by the sound of the screeching tires.

Suddenly, the image in my head switched. The girl was being saved by Edward. I pulled myself out of my vision and looked next to me, where Edward was standing. But Edward wasn't there anymore. I saw him launch across the parking lot at inhuman speed. No human eyes could have followed his flight. He threw himself between the skidding van and the frozen girl, catching her around the waist, and crashed as gently as possible into the ground, trying to not break her body with his strength.

I heard her head crack against the ice.

Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper were running toward me. Rosalie looked furious. Jasper was looking all around, calculating and strategizing. He was back in his soldier mode.

The van twisted around Bella's truck and skidded back at her, squealing. I heard Edward curse. Emmett chuckled.

"This van really wants to kill the girl. She's like a magnet!" Emmett said.

Nobody else laughed. We were scared. Edward was exposing himself, in front of the whole school.

With our acute hearing, we could hear the sound of iron molding against the stone-like body of Edward, who was stopping the vehicle from attempting to kill the girl a second time. The van shuddered and shivered, and then swayed, balancing unstably on the two far tires.

People screaming and crying were speeding towards the accident scene, staring at the van.

"This is not good at all," Rosalie groaned. "People will see him holding a van up with one hand, what will that look like to them? Superman!"

"Everything will be fine," I affirmed. But I wasn't sure at all. I couldn't see the future. Everybody was planning, but nobody was making decisions.

I could see Edward shoving the van away for an instant, pulling the girl from under the van, and letting the van drop down. Nobody saw him juggle the van and the girl. We all heard the van crash to the pavement, all the windows shattering in unison.

"Oh my god! Who's under there? Somebody died!" cried a girl next to me.

"Isabella Swan was there!" screamed a boy.

I took my phone out and called the emergency. They were on their way. My siblings and I heard Edward speak softly to the girl.

"Bella? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine," she said weakly.

I suddenly felt a sense of relief. I was surprised by my reaction. I was glad the girl didn't get hurt.

"Be careful. I think you hit your head pretty hard."

"Ow," the girl complained.

"That's what I thought," Edward replied, sounding somewhat amused.

Emmett looked at Jasper, smiling.

"He's gone mad," Emmett whispered into Jasper's ear.

Jasper didn't smile back. This was a serious matter.

In the far, I could hear the conversation continuing.

"How in the…How did you get over here so fast?"

"I was standing right next to you, Bella," Edward lied flawlessly.

Rosalie threw her arms in the air, more furious than before.

"She saw him. She saw him using inhuman strength to save her and now we're done!"

"Babe, it's just one person. And she hit her head pretty hard. And just had a traumatic experience. If she tells anybody, they'll think she lost her mind," Emmett said, proud of his cognitive skills.

For once, I agreed with him. And Edward was a very good liar.

" But she will talk, if we let her. And there are evidence that something saved her." Jasper said curtly.

Students were pushing through to see what happened. There were buzzing noises all around the accident scene.

"You were by your car," Bella insisted.

"No, I wasn't," Edward replied, trying to keep his cool.

"I saw you."

"Bella, I was standing with you, and I pulled you out of the way."

"No!"

"Please, Bella," Edward begged, using his velvet voice.

"Why?"

"Trust me."

The rescue team arrived and the crowed moved to the side to let them through. I saw Brett Warner, a registered nurse, approaching Edward. We knew him well. He worked closely with Carlisle at the hospital. Another EMT followed Brett. They put a neck brace around Isabella. Meanwhile, Edward used this opportunity to erase any evidence of his extra-human abilities. He quietly rearranged the shape of the dent in the tan car with the back of his foot so nobody could discern the mold of his shoulder and of his hand in the iron.

The chief of police arrived. He looked on the verge of tears, full of panic and concern for his daughter.

"Bella!" he shouted.

"I'm completely fine, Char-Dad. There's nothing wrong with me."

This girl almost died, twice, in less than a minute interval, and she was behaving like nothing big happened, so she could protect her dad's feelings. She was indeed an interesting character. She didn't even seem in shock. And while facing death, she had time to observe Edward's unnatural abilities. The only one in the whole school to notice it.

The EMT carried the bruised girl into the back of the ambulance. Edward was sitting now in the front seat of the ambulance with Brett Warner. They left for the hospital and the chief followed them in his cruiser.

"Okay, we have a job to do here," exclaimed Emmett after the ambulance was gone. "Let's make sure that this silly brother of ours didn't leave any evidences."

"Cleaning his mess up, how typical!" moaned Rosalie.

"Not really typical, Rose. Edward never caused any trouble in his hundred and somewhat years. And you know it," I groaned back at her.

Emmett was already gliding through our peers to reach to the car and the van. He came back right away.

"As always, Edward was thorough with his cleaning. Nothing left for us to do here."

"Should we go to the hospital," I suggested.

"Everyone else seem to be going there too," Emmett said, looking at the crowed of students leaving with their cars. "Is it just curiosity or do they actually care to know if the girl will survive."

Emmett and I started walking towards the car. I suddenly realized Jasper wasn't following. And neither was Rosalie. I turned around and saw them both standing still, staring at us.

"You're not coming with us?" I asked hesitantly.

Jasper looked at me, with concern.

"You two don't understand the gravity of the situation. We need to come up with a plan." Jasper said.

"This is not good at all, and after I kill the girl, I'll kill Edward," Rosalie continued.

Emmett and I looked back at them, speechless. I was worried, and understood how dangerous this situation was for the whole family, but I hoped that we could wait and see what the girl would say. She seemed to be the only one who noticed anything weird happening.

"Edward saved a human, it's not supposed to be a horrible sin… And imagine… imagine what would've happened if the girl had been crushed by the van, with her blood spilling all over the concrete… What would've happened next if both Edward and I would've leaped toward the girl, drinking her still warm blood? We would've exposed our true identity in a much worst fashion. Not superheroes but monsters!"

Jasper and Rosalie were barely listening. There were too enraged to pay attention to my words.

I saw Jasper's decision materialize in my head. He will go find the girl tonight in her bedroom and finish her off.

I glared at Jasper.

"It has to be done. It's the only way for us to survive."

I spinned around and raced to the car, leaving all of them behind. I drove to the hospital, going way over the speed limit. Edward would come out in ten minutes. I parked the car and decided to wait for him here. I didn't like hospitals much. Unlike Carlisle, I wasn't strong enough to be around blood. The smell of dripping blood was still extremely tempting to me. And anyway, I needed time alone to think. I couldn't believe that our comfortable lives had been suddenly crushed. I hated this. Maybe it would be best to kill the girl to make sure she won't talk. But we were not killers. That's what put us apart from other vampires. And Edward saved her. There must be a reason why he risked it all to keep her alive.

Edward walked out of the hospital's main entrance. He looked horrible. His fists were clenched together and he was gazing down the pavement, walking aimlessly.

_Edward! _

Edward looked up and spotted the Volvo. He walked towards me, opened the passenger's seat and sat down without a word. I was concentrating on not thinking about the conversation I had with the others. I didn't want Edward to know about it right now. He needed some quiet too, to be able to think. We drove back to school without a word. I was singing a classical tune in my head so I wouldn't slip. Edward knew what I was doing but didn't seem concerned.

When we approached the school, Edward finally lifted his head and looked up at me.

" Alice, what will happen now?"

I shrugged and shook my head. I wanted to be more helpful but I didn't know.

" I don't know what happened. I didn't even think. I had to save her… I just had to…" Edward whispered, more to himself than to me. His eyes wandered on the road ahead, deep in thoughts.

I took his hand in mine and squeezed it gently.

" Don't worry. Everything will be fine," I said.

He nodded, still gazing ahead.

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**The next chapter will be posted shortly...**


	4. Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4:

VISIONS

The rest of the day was a daze. Everybody around me was talking about the accident. For once, I tried to ignore my visions. I didn't want to know how Jasper was planning on killing the human, nor how Rosalie was ready to help him do it. I couldn't wait to be home, where Carlisle was going to settle the matter, or at least put it into better perspective. Everybody would have to listen to his final decision. He was the head of the family.

I was the first one to get to the car at the end of the day. Jasper came next. He could sense my stress, and leaned against the car, close to me, to comfort me.

"You shouldn't worry. I'll take care of this," he said protectively.

Jasper was clueless that his words were doing the opposite of calming me down. Maybe he could feel the emotions arising through people, but it didn't signify that he knew why people felt the way they did. I turned my head slightly to see his expression. He looked determined. A soldier ready for combat. Jasper didn't understand that my anxiety was caused by his own reaction to the situation. My stomach twisted into a knot. I didn't want him to take care of it.

Rosalie marched toward us, ready for war as well.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

"Emmett and him are getting out of class as we speak. They'll be here shortly," I informed her.

Then I looked at both of them intently.

"We should wait until we get home to discuss it. Let's wait until we're all sitting down."

They didn't respond but I could see that they were going to wait. However, the heated conversation at the kitchen table will definitely be intense, I could see that too.

Emmett and Edward walked silently towards us. We got into the car without a word. Nobody was speaking. I continued to see Jasper's choices forming clearer in my head.

And then, to my surprise, I saw Edward blocking Jasper from approaching the girl.

The images changed in my head continuously. Edward who was looking into my thoughts kept making new decisions as he learned the outcome of his previous choice. No matter which direction Jasper came at the girl, I always saw Edward there, preventing Jasper from going further.

I got scared. Edward was going to fight Jasper. The knot in my stomach twisted tighter and I thought that I might've fainted if I were human.

Edward was concentrating on my thoughts and my visions continued to shift. The images moving further and further away from the girl's house because Edward was cutting Jasper off earlier and earlier.

_Stop that, Edward! _I finally snapped. _It can't happen this way. I won't let it._

Edward ignored me and kept on watching my visions. I couldn't endure it anymore, seeing Jasper and Edward fight was too painful to watch. Instead, I tried to look further ahead in the future. Everything was shadowy and vague, nothing was coherent.

The whole way home, the heavy silence did not lift. Edward parked the car in the garage. Carlisle's Mercedes was already there. I felt a little relieved to know Carlisle was already inside.

Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and Edward all went straight to the dining room. I stayed back, suddenly having another vision. A clearer vision of an image I already saw before. Edward was glowing in an open meadow with a silhouette beside him. This time I could make sense of the figure: it was Isabella. They were both lying down on the grass, looking up at the sun, smiling.

I pushed the image away. The vision helped me put today's event into perspective, finally understanding clearer the relationship that was forming between the girl and Edward. However, we had to deal with the more pressing issue of stopping Jasper and Rosalie from killing the girl, who appeared to have a special place in Edward's untouched heart. Or, if my vision was true, we needed to urgently avoid that Edward fight Jasper until he won and saved the girl once again. My hands clasped my head, forcing the images out of my head. I couldn't stand if Jasper would get hurt. He was my life. But Edward wouldn't… No, he would never hurt one of his own…

I walked into the kitchen last. Carlisle was sitting at his usual seat at the eastern head of the room. Esme was beside him. They held hands on top of the table. Edward was sitting on the other side of Carlisle. Rosalie, making a point of opposition, sat across from them. Emmett was of course sitting next to her. Jasper was standing behind them, leaning against the wall. He looked at me while I sat next to Esme. I wanted Jasper to come and sit next to me. I felt anxious. I rubbed my forehead. All of these blurry images swirling in my head made me dizzy. Jasper hesitated a moment, sensing my unease, but decided to stay where he was, close to his allies.

Edward broke the charged silence.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put any of you at risk. It was thoughtless, and I take full responsibility for my hasty action."

Rosalie glared at him. "What do you mean, take full responsibility? Are you going to fix it?"

"Not the way you mean," he answered in a controlled voice. "I'm willing to leave now, if that makes things better."

"No," Esme murmured. "No, Edward."

"It's just a few years."

My millions of images in my head kept changing. But none of them included Edward leaving. I knew he would stay.

"Esme's right though," Emmett said. "You can't go anywhere now. That would be the opposite of helpful. We have to know what people are thinking, now more than ever."

"Alice will catch anything major."

"I think Emmett is right, Edward," said Carlisle. "The girl will be more likely to talk if you disappear. It's all of us leave, or none of us."

"She won't say anything," Edward insisted

"You don't know her mind" Carlisle reminded him.

"I know this much. Alice, back me up!"

I couldn't see what the girl would do or say if we let her be, and ignored the incident, because Jasper and Rosalie's decisions were set. I glared at Rosalie and Jasper. "I can't see what will happen if we just ignore this."

Rosalie's palm smacked down on the table with a loud ban. "We can't allow the human a chance to say anything. Carlisle, you must see that. Even if we decided to disappear, it's not safe to leave stories behind us. We live so differently from the rest of our kind-you know there are those who would love an excuse to point fingers. We have to be more careful than anyone else!"

"We've left rumors behind us before," Edward replied.

"Just rumors and suspicions, Edward. Not eyewitnesses and evidence!"

"Evidence!" Edward groaned

I could see that Jasper was agreeing with Rosalie. There must be a solution to all this. My visions led to nothing. I tried to look further ahead once again. Seeing past the fight.

"It doesn't have to be any big production. The girl hit her head today. So maybe that injury turns out to be more serious that it looked. Every mortal goes to sleep with the chance of never waking up. The others would expect us to clean up after ourselves. Technically, that would make it Edward's job, but this is obviously beyond him. You know I'm capable of control. I would leave no evidence behind me."

" Yes, Rosalie, we all know how proficient an assassin you are," Edward choked.

Rosalie hissed back.

"Edward, please," Carlisle said. Then he turned to Rosalie. "Rosalie, I looked the other way in Rochester because I felt that you were owed your justice. The men you killed had wronged you monstrously. This is not the same situation. The Swan girl is an innocent."

"It's not personal, Carlisle," Rosalie said through her teeth. "It's to protect us all."

There was a brief moment of silence. Carlisle carefully searched for the right words to use next. I was barely listening to the conversation anymore. A completely new image popped into my head. It wasn't one of Edward and neither of Jasper. It was an image of me. And I was in the Swan's house with the girl. I knew her well and cared for her greatly. She looked straight at me with her beautiful brown eyes. She knew what I was and wasn't scared. We were both laughing. I pondered on the image for a while. I was glad nobody was paying attention to me, especially Edward. The girl and I seemed close, and that confused me. And the feeling in this image was so light and positive, I almost felt nostalgic when the vision disappeared, as if I were already missing it.

Carlisle's voice broke my train of thoughts.

"I know you mean well, Rosalie, but… I'd like very much for our family to be worth protecting. The occasional accident or lapse in control is a regrettable part of who we are. To murder a blameless child in a cold blood is another thing entirely. I believe the risk she presents, whether she speaks her suspicions or not, is nothing to the greater risk. If we make exceptions to protect ourselves, we risk something much more important. We risk losing the essence of who we are."

I glanced at Jasper. I hoped Carlisle wised words would make him change his plans. But Jasper seemed far away from the rest of us, determined to fix it so nothing could hurt us. These were the skills of survival he learned during the war.

Rosalie scowled. "It's just being responsible."

"It's being callous," Carlisle corrected politely. "Every life is precious."

Rosalie resigned. She sighed heavily and her lower lip pouted out. Emmett patted her shoulder. "It'll be fine, Rose," he encouraged in a low voice.

Carlisle spoke again, to the whole table.

"The question is whether we should move on?"

"No," Rosalie moaned. "We just got settled. I don't want to start on my sophomore year again!"

I stopped listening. Rosalie backed down and changed her mind. Hopefully, the future will change as well. I looked again in the near future. The same image of Edward and Jasper fighting forcefully popped in my head. I sighed. I had to explain to Jasper that the girl was going to be somebody important in my life. I suddenly felt warmth toward her, like I've known her for a long time. I was anxious she was going to be hurt. However, it might be hard to convince Jasper to let it go. Living in a combat zone for all those years, he knew the consequences of flouting the rules. He'd seen the gruesome aftermath with his own eyes.

"Jasper," Edward said. He must have realized as well that Rosalie wasn't a threat anymore. Jasper was the only one to stop now.

Jasper raised his gaze to meet Edward's.

"She won't pay for my mistake. I won't allow that."

"She benefits from it, then? She should have died today, Edward. I would only set that right."

" I will not allow it," Edward repeated, emphasizing each word.

Jasper hadn't thought that Edward would actually put himself between him and the girl. Jasper was stun for a second before regaining control.

" I won't let Alice live in danger, even a slight danger. You don't feel about anyone the way I feel about her, Edward, and you haven't lived through what I've lived through, whether you've seen my memories or not. You don't understand."

Of course, Jasper wanted to do it for me. To protect me. Even if he knew very well that I could fend for myself well enough. But he didn't know that by trying to protect me, he would break my heart. I loved Bella, of course, not remotely as much as I loved Jasper, but she was important to me now.

"I'm not disputing that, Jasper. But I'm telling you now, I won't allow you to hurt Isabella Swan."

Another image came, even clearer than the previous one. Bella and I were walking, both smiling. I had my icy arm around her warm, fragile shoulders. And Bella had her arm around my marble waist. We were best friends. My first true friend except for my family.

I interrupted Edward and Jasper's intense fury, glaring silently at each other.

"Jazz."

"Don't bother telling me you can protect yourself, Alice. I already know that. I've still got to-"

"That's not what I'm going to say," I interrupted. " I was going to ask you for a favor."

I noticed Edward from the corner of my eye reading my mind. He gasped loudly and everyone turned to stare at him. He looked in shock.

I continued to look at Jasper. I would deal with stubborn Edward later. First, I had to protect my future friend.

" I know you love me. Thanks. But I would really appreciate it if you didn't try to kill Bella. First of all, Edward's serious and I don't want you two fighting. Secondly, she's my friend. At least, she's going to be."

Edward still hadn't moved. His eyes fixed at my head, his mouth hanging open.

Jasper stared at me intently. His mouth was somewhat open as well, confused.

"But…Alice…"

"I'm going to love her someday, Jazz. I'll be very put out with you if you don't let her be."

Jasper understood. His combat plans falling apart, opening a whole new future in my head. Bella's future was forming in my head. I saw two possible futures, both waiting to see what Edward would decide next.

"Ah. See? Bella's not going to say anything. There's nothing to worry about."

"Alice," murmured Edward. " What…does this…?

I pushed the images away. Edward needed to make his decisions on his own. I concentrated hard on hiding my thoughts, locking my jaws.

"I told you there was a change coming. I don't know, Edward."

"What, Alice? What are you hiding?"

I focused hard on Jasper to change the direction of my thoughts.

"Is it about the girl? Is it about Bella?"

I gritted my teeth tightly in concentration. When Edward said Bella's name, I accidentally slipped and my thoughts came through for a short instant.

"NO!" Edward shouted. He got up to his feet, making his chair fall to the floor.

"Edward!" Carlisle exclaimed.

My visions were getting clearer. Edward and Bella were together. I could sense intense feelings. True, beautiful feelings. But also struggle inside Edward's body, always fighting against the urge to drink her blood and his new urge to protect her.

"It's solidifying. Every minute you're more decided. There're really only two ways left for her. It's one of the other, Edward."

I saw Bella's two futures again. In one, she was laying down lifeless, blood dripping down along her neck. Edward was crying and cringing beside her. The second one, Bella was beautiful, pale-looking, with piercing golden eyes. She had become a vampire.

"No." Edward repeated.

Emmett was frustrated by our incomprehensible conversation.

"Will somebody please let the rest of us in on the mystery?"

"I have to leave," Edward whispered to me, ignoring Emmett and the rest of them.

"Edward, we've already been over that. That's the best way to start the girl talking. Besides, if you take off, we won't know for sure if she's talking or not. You have to stay and deal with this." Emmett said loudly.

I knew Edward wasn't leaving. He was bound to stay close to Bella.

"I don't see you going anywhere, Edward. I don't know if you can leave anymore." _Think about it, _I added silently. _Think about leaving._ I could see it was painful to think about moving away from Bella, and not seeing her anymore. He was attached. But he was determined to spare her from any of her futures I've foreseen. So I continued. _ I'm not entirely sure of Jasper, Edward. If you leave, if he thinks she's a danger to us…_

"I don't hear that," he contradicted me.

_Not right this moment. Will you risk her life, leave her undefended?_

"Why are you doing this to me?" He groaned, his head falling into his hands.

I felt a little guilty. Jasper would never hurt Bella anymore. He would never go against my will. But I didn't want Edward to leave. I saw the friend I could have in Bella, and I wanted it bad. If Edward left, Bella and I would never become friends. I would miss her.

_I love her, too. Or I will. It's not the same, but I want her around for that._

Edward was taken aback by my words.

" Love her, too?"

_You are so blind, Edward. Can't you see where you're headed? Can't you see where you already are? It's more inevitable than the sun rising in the east. See what I see._

Edward finally found love, and I wasn't going to let him run away from it. I showed him the image of him and Bella in the meadow in my mind.

Edward shook his head. "No. I don't want to follow that course. I'll leave. I will change the future."

"You can try."

Emmett lost patience. "Oh, come on!"

"Pay attention," Rose hissed at him. "Alice sees him falling for a human! How classically Edward!"

"What?" Emmett chuckled. " Is that what's been going on?"

His booming laugh echoed through the room. "Tough break, Edward."

I kept my eyes on Edward. He was shaking his head frenetically. His eyes wide open, frozen on me.

"Fall for a human?" Esme gasped. "For the girl he saved today? Fall in love with her?" Esme didn't sound terrified. She sounded relieved. At last, her son found somebody who will touch his heart.

Jasper walked closer to me. "What do you see, Alice? Exactly," Jasper asked.

I turned away from my horrified brother and looked at Jasper. I could feel Edward still staring at the side of my face. I took a deep breath and explained my visions to the rest of the family.

"It all depends on whether he is strong enough or not. Either he'll kill her himself." I threw a warning glare at Edward. "Which would really irritate me, Edward, not to mention what it would do to you." I looked back at Jasper, " or she'll become one of us someday."

Esme gasped. Edward's face distorted itself into a menacing grimace.

"That's not going to happen!" He shouted again. "Either one!"

I ignored him. The girl had only these two alternatives left. Past actions, which cannot be altered, eradicated any other possible future for her.

"It all depends… He may be just strong enough not to kill her, but it will be close. It will take an amazing amount of control, more even than Carlisle has. He may just be strong enough… The only thing he's not strong enough to do is stay away from her. That's a lost cause."

My family, who listened to my every word, as if I were a prophet, stayed still. Everyone's eyes were on Edward, speechless. Edward who was still glaring at me, looked ill. He was appalled by my visions, and horrified to know that I was right.

After what seemed like ages, Carlisle sighed. "Well, this… complicates things."

"I'll say," Emmett agreed, still amused.

"I suppose the plans remain the same, though. We will stay, and watch. Obviously, no one will…hurt the girl."

I knew the only person who might hurt the girl were neither Rosalie nor Jasper, but Edward. Jasper would listen to me.

"No. I can agree to that. If Alice sees only two ways-" Jasper agreed.

"NO! NO!" Edwards screamed, sounding like he was being tortured. Anguish and despair escaping from his throat.

Edward stalked out of the room and ran out of the house.

Everybody kept silent. Jasper sat next to me.

"Well, if Edward finally decided to date, he should've picked Tanya. She's hot-" Rosalie threw him a nasty look- "and, well, you know, not mortal!" Emmett giggled.

Jasper turned to face me. "I mean, can he…how is he… is it possible to be with a human?"

I looked up at Carlisle, who was thinking hard.

"I've never encountered any vampires who have dealt with this issue before, but I believe it is possible. I, for one, have built friendships with my coworkers, and you lot spend most of your day with your classmates."

"Carlisle, you know that wasn't exactly the question." Jasper interrupted.

"Yeah, what we want to know is: are they going to be able to-" Emmett started

"To be intimate." Esme said, interrupting Emmett from using inappropriate language to ask the burning question we all had.

"Well…hum…I'm not sure," Carlisle hesitated. " First of all, I don't see how Edward could be this close to the girl, knowing very well that her blood is so potent to him, without…hum…losing control."

"Don't we all lose control when it comes to sex." Emmett exclaimed.

"It's not the same. She's not an equal. She's human! She's food to us, not partners!" Rosalie blasted impatiently.

"Rose, it's not because she's not one of us that she's not an equal. We don't place ourselves above humans. She's a girl, with feelings, and Edward has feelings too." Esme replied calmly.

"But what if she doesn't feel the same he does. What if the girl doesn't love him back? Wouldn't that change the future, Alice?"

I already knew the feelings were mutual. I felt it during the vision: love, trust and passion.

"She's also falling for him. They're meant to be." I confirmed.

"How can you say that? She's a breakable, ephemeral being. It is NOT meant to be!" Rosalie growled.

I shrugged.

"Love can be a mystery. But I guarantee you that they both are already attached to each other, and won't support being away from each other. They need one another."


	5. Chapter 5

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter. I hope it's as fun to read it :)**

** Let me know what you think!**

CHAPTER 5:

WAITING

High school had suddenly become a lot more interesting. I was enjoying the Edward-Bella melodrama a little too much. It was better than "Beverly Hills 90210" in the early 90's or "Dawson's Creek" a decade ago. This was not just meek teenagers' infatuation; this was the realization of pure Shakespearian love to its truest form. I was waiting eagerly for the two main characters to finally own their feelings, swallow their fears and confess their love for each other.

Unfortunately, my virtuous brother was denying my enjoyment. Edward preferred to honorably suffer internally in order to protect the young girl. Edward knew that my visions were solid and that there were no mean to change its evolution. However, Edward was annoyingly the most stubborn vampire in the whole wide world and decided to go against the facts. What a masochistic ass!

From the corner of my eyes, I discreetly spied on Jasper who was discussing something with Emmett in a whisper outside the cafeteria. Our anniversary was coming up in two weeks and Jasper always planned amazing surprises to celebrate our union. He asked me a week ago to stop looking into our future and I kept my promise. I loved the excitement of knowing that something great will happen without being aware of the specifics. However, I was also way too curious and impatient to fully enjoy the secrecy of it all.

"Rose," I whispered to my sister. "Has Jasper mentioned anything to you about his plans?"

"Alice, if you want to know, you can just look it up yourself in your little head of yours. Don't try to involve me in your cheating."

Jasper looked at me with a smile. He heard Rosalie's reply. I pouted like a five year old and went back to staring at Isabella Swan, who was sitting with her crew. Jessica and Angela were talking joyfully with her and the three of them were smiling. I felt a sting of jealousy. She was supposed to be my friend, not theirs. I sighed. When was Edward going to give in? I hated waiting.

The days passed by and I became restless. Too many things I was waiting on. I was eager to find out what Jasper was orchestrating for me this year. I lay in bed remembering last year's occasion. Rosalie, Esme and I had gone hunting and when we came back home, Jasper was waiting for me on the porch, dressed in Safari outwear. I suspiciously glanced around me. The whole family stood on the side, ready to give us their goodbyes for the long weekend away. Jasper had two backpacks in his hand. He led me to his Cadillac and drove, a big smile on his face. I was still ignorant to where we were heading. However, his attire told me we were not going to a fashion show, like we did the previous year. Jasper knew I liked to get wild and dirty as much as I fancied accessorizing myself in the most luxurious garments. I was a fierce vampire after all, nonetheless a charming and shiny one. Once at the airport, I'd learned that we were flying to Kenya. Once in Africa, we had ignored all the Safari tours and traveled deeper into the jungle than any human ventured. The smell was so pure and fresh, and the silence was beautifully peaceful. Jasper and I climbed giant trees and explored the endless wildness from the canopy of the jungle. We childishly played Tarzan, flying from one tree to another. We ate some delicious rare animals to our side of the world. We made love in natural pools with waterfalls cascading down from twenty feet high, while rainbows were coloring the air from the hot sun meeting the mist of the flowing water. The most wonderful part of our time in Kenya was the privacy we share for three days. Nobody's emotions were distracting Jasper, no humans to worry about, no family member around to interrupt, no melancholic brother playing the piano downstairs. It was impeccably blissful.

"Love," Jasper said, tearing me from my enticing memories. "What are you smiling about by yourself?" He walked toward me and traced my lips with his fingers.

"I was thinking about _you_, of course." As if he couldn't sense the love, attraction and lust pouring out of me. I held his face in my hands, staring into his honey eyes. "My Jasper. My soul mate. My husband." I whispered lovingly.

Jasper leaned in, closing the gap between us. He kissed me fiercely and pulled my body toward his.

Later, lying happily next to Jasper, I heard Edward coming back home from his daily run. I could hear the water dripping down his soaked clothes and wrenched hair. I felt sad for Edward. Since the revelation that he was irrefutably going to fall in love with Bella, Edward fought back his desire to look at the girl, to smile at her or even to say hi to her. Additionally, he battled his animalistic urge to smell her and hunt her, allowing the burn of his thirst to scar him. Edward was hurting but he didn't want to confide in anybody. He felt all alone in his pain. More alone than he ever felt.

I knew I wasn't helping with my visions and my confidence in the future. But I couldn't help knowing what will undeniably happen. He had to accept reality. But instead, he was creating a bubble of pretense, isolating himself from his family deeper than before. After school, once he was done playing his role to perfection, he left us behind, running for hours every evening. Nobody asked him where to or what he did or thought about while on his run.

Now, I could hear his splashy footsteps going up the staircase into his bedroom. I sat up, pulling Jasper's t-shirt over my head.

"Don't go. He needs to be alone." Jasper said.

"We need to do something. It can't go on like this."

"You know I know what you're feeling. And I know how Edward feels too. It pains me as well. But there's nothing we can do for him right now except to give him the space he longs for."

I sighed, frustrated. Jasper sat up and wrapped his arms around me. I leaned back against his chest and closed my eyes.

At school, we never mentioned the girl unless necessary. She seemed to ignore us as purposefully as we were ignoring her. Once in a while, her human willpower weakened and she couldn't resist the urge to glance in our direction. Those were the only times I was allowed to say her name.

" Bella's going to stare at Edward in a minute. Look normal." I informed my family. We all carefully fidgeted slightly in our seats. Stillness was an evidence of what we were. I didn't look up to see Bella. Instead, I examined my vision carefully. Lately, my visions had become less clear so I enjoyed this bright image of her in the cafeteria. Her face had become so familiar to me in the past months. It was warm and understanding and friendly. I sighed.

_I wish…_

"Stay out of it, Alice," he hissed. "It's not going to happen."

I pouted, annoyed that my brother's obstinate mind was winning. He was impossibly persistent.

_I'll admit, you're better than I thought. You've got the future all snarled up and senseless again. I hope you're happy._

"It makes plenty of sense to me," he scorned.

I snorted back at him. Jasper discreetly pressed his hand on my leg. I glanced at him and he bowed his head slightly. I inhaled deeply and exhaled.

The bell rang and Edward slipped away without a word.

"Thank you for holding back your frustration," Jasper said. "Edward is extremely tense today, barely able to hold the stress in."

I stared ahead, towards the science building, preoccupied by my brother's internal battles and also preoccupied by my yet to be best-friend who longs for Edward to acknowledge her presence.

I noticed Emmett and Rosalie glide hand in hand out of the cafeteria. I sometimes wished that Jasper and I could be more like them, oblivious to the world around. They didn't suffer from the burden of others' feelings and future. I wished we could ignore the negative vibes people showered Jasper with and the unwanted visions of people's bad decision-making. Jasper bent down and kissed my forehead.

"If you need some cheering up, maybe you should peek into our future, a day from now to be exact." He smiled brightly.

This was helping. In all this tension, I almost forgot about our anniversary. I smiled back. But I didn't peek into the future. While walking back to class, I just let my imagination of tomorrow's surprise flow in my mind. I was taking my notebook out when a crisp new image came twirling in my head. Edward and Bella: together. He was smiling at last, and she was still human, her chocolate brown eyes sparkling with happiness. Their eyes locked into each other's gaze. They were openly in love, holding hands. I smiled. I felt relieved. I was right all along. I knew Edward wasn't strong enough. I was excited to soon have my best friend around.

The last bell of the day rang and I sprang out of my seat, delighted by my rematerialized visions of Edward and Bella. Jasper floated next to me and we zigzaged around our classmates all the way to the parking lot.

Emmett was standing alone in front of the school, watching Edward afar with an amused grin. Edward, who was on the other side of the parking lot, was laughing by himself. I automatically scanned around him. Nobody was talking to him. And he wasn't on the phone.

Emmett glanced at me and was surprised by my expression.

"You look all cheered up as well. Did I miss something since the mournful cafeteria gathering?"

A musical giggle escaped. "I got good news during class," I blurted out. Then I glanced back towards Edward. "What is going on with him?"

Edward had reached the Volvo, a smile glued to his face. He drove the car right in front of the old rusty truck that belonged to Bella and purposefully stopped. He was not only blocking the girl from getting out of the parking lot, but a whole line was forming behind them with impatient teenagers eager to get out of school.

Emmett shrugged. "I think he's lost his mind."

Rosalie joined us. " I always knew that day would come."

The four of us walked slowly, bewildered by the scene Edward was creating.

I rolled my eyes. "He's in love, and love makes you do crazy things."

At that instant, I heard Bella saying our name with wrath. _Cullen. _I noticed Tyler, the same boy who merely killed Bella with his car a few months back, standing next to her pathetic red truck, speaking to the girl through her open window. He was grinning, his chest filled with air like a proud rooster. I listened more carefully, guessing that Edward must be spying on their conversation as well. I heard Tyler's confident voice as he spoke to Bella.

" I just wanted to ask you something while we're trapped here," he said, unaware of her discomfort. "Will you ask me to the spring dance?" he continued boldly.

"I'm not going to be in town, Tyler," Bella replied politely but with a hint of irritation.

I looked back at my brother in the car. He was concentrating, a smile growing on his face. He was staring intently in the rearview mirror, examining the scene happening behind him. My smile grew as well. Edward was letting down his walls and he was enjoying the truth that he was utterly captivated by this human girl.

"That's cool. We still have prom," answered Tyler before heading back to his car stopped behind Bella's. Bella didn't look pleased by the exchange.

By now, Edward was rocking with laughter inside our modest Volvo. Jasper and I exchanged a bemused look and slid inside the car, followed by Emmett and Rosalie. Behind us, Bella's engine was roaring desperately.

"Let's go" Rosalie hissed. "Stop being an idiot. If you can."

I felt light and happy, and so did Edward. He was chuckling every so often on the way back home.

"So do I get to talk to Bella now?" I rejoiced.

Edward's smile disappeared instantly. "No," he snapped

"Not fair! What am I waiting for?" I was tired of waiting.

"I haven't decided anything, Alice."

"Whatever, Edward." My image had been crystal clear. His decision was made.

"What's the point in getting to know her if I'm just going to kill her?" he mumbled dryly.

I couldn't argue with that. There were still two equal futures lay in front of Bella. She was as likely going to die as she was to become my eternal sister. "You have a point," I admitted bitterly.

We reached home and the car screeched to a stop an inch from the back garage wall. Edward was the first one out, as usual.

"Enjoy you run," Rose smirked at him sarcastically.


	6. Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6:

VAMPIRE LOVE

My good humor quickly spread to Jasper, Emmett, Esme and Carisle. Rosalie was the only one who wasn't rejoicing in the fact that Edward was finally out of his funk, and she spent the night taking apart a car she had just finished remodeling. The rest of us spent hours playing trivial pursuit. Carlisle and Jasper were best in the history and science categories. Emmett was unbeatable at sport questions and Esme's expertise was geography. I was the best in the category of arts and entertainment, even though Carlisle and Esme were close behind me. Carisle won at the end. Emmett wanted a rematch when we noticed it was dawn. I excused myself and headed to my walk-in closet to choose what to wear on such a lovely day. Not only was Edward finally embracing his love for Bella, but today was our anniversary at last. After school, the celebration would begin.

I swirled down to the car, where Emmett, Rosalie and Jasper were already sitting in the backseat.

"Good morning," I whistled. "Should I drive or someone else will?"

They stared at me perplexed. "Where's Edward," Emmett asked.

"He'll join us at school. He's still out."

Rosalie sprang out of the backseat and took the driver's seat at once. "I never understood why Edward was our designated driver. I drive better and I'm supposed to be older than him anyway."

Once at school, I stepped out of the car. A new vision came to me. Edward was planning on talking to the girl. It appeared like he was actually flirting with Bella one second, and pushing her away the next. The innocent girl was completely confused by my brother's smitten behavior. I giggled softly. Jasper looked at me inquisitively.

"The beginning of a relationship; courting a love interest; the hope and the fear; the awkwardness and the thrill… Oh, how beautiful it is!" I sang.

Jasper stared at me with sparkling eyes. "Yes, love is a beautiful feeling."

I danced closer to my love and gave him a kiss. "I'm not going to biology third period. They're going to study blood types. Maybe you could skip your class as well and we could meet under the bleachers on the field." I laughed out loud at my suggestion. I sounded just like a real teenager. Jasper laughed as well.

"How so juvenile and mischievous of you." He leaned closer and whispered in my ear. "I'll be waiting for you impatiently my love." I grinned and swirled to class, completely and undeniably happy with the world today.

Third period came extremely fast. I quickly glanced into the future. Jasper will get to the field in two minutes. I hurried to get there before him. I scanned the future once again to ensure that nobody else will be around. The field was clear. The rain was keeping humans inside.

I slid under the bleachers. Jasper would arrive momentarily. I swiftly jumped and grabbed the highest bench, hanging a few feet from the ground. Jasper arrived then and looked around searching for me. I let go of my hold and landed on Jasper's back before he had a chance to react.

"Gotcha!" I exclaimed, proud I had fooled the best soldier in history.

Jasper grabbed my arm, which was clinched around his neck, and swung me around to face him. My legs wrapped around his hips. His smile was beaming. I kissed him passionately and he reciprocated with fervor. I stared deeply into his powerful eyes. I pulled hard on his collar and we both collapsed on the ground, laughing like young lovers. Jasper's hand brushed my hair away from my eyes. We stared into each others' eyes intently, feeling the electricity traveling from his body to mine and back to his. His thumb was softly caressing my cheek. He then leaned in and kissed every inch of my face slowly and lovingly, while my fingers played with his silky hair. Then, I rolled over, so I would be on top.

"I love you," I whispered so low that only another vampire would be able to hear me. I delicately traced his lips with my fingers and then caressed each of his scars on his cheeks, forehead and nose, and kissed each of them tenderly. I knew his face by heart, but it never stopped from mesmerizing me, even after decades of being together. My love and passion only seemed to grow with the years. I loved his skin and his scent more than anything else in the world. I inhaled deeply, swallowing his sweet fragrance in.

"Shoot! The bell just rang."

Jasper pulled me up and we both ran back to school, avoiding any teachers on the way. We both smiled and gazed into each other's bliss for a brief moment before heading in different direction, me going to my English class and him going to his history class. I reminded myself that tonight, I'll have a lot more time with him and that wherever Jasper will take me, it will be beautiful and romantic and intimate.

I reunited with Jasper, Emmett and Rosalie on our way to the cafeteria. I giggled happily as a vision of Edward sitting alone at a table away from our usual spot materialized in my head. In the vision, Edward was eagerly waving at Bella to go join him.

"What now?" Rosalie snapped.

I grinned at her. "Edward finally gave in. He won't sit with us today. Bella and him are having lunch together."

"No way!" boomed Emmett, a little too loud. A few students turned their head to stare at us. " That's gonna be fun to watch!" he exclaimed a little softer.

Rosalie rolled her eyes and stormed into the cafeteria. Jasper was grinning back at me, amused as always by Rosalie's princess attitude.

And there he was, exactly as in my vision. Edward was sitting at a table alone, waiting for Bella to come. Rosalie, who was a few feet ahead of us by now, stalked angrily by him without glancing his way. But knowing her, she was surely sending him some condemnatory message in her thoughts. Jasper and Emmett walked hesitantly by their brother as well. Emmett had a smirk on his face and was dramatically shaking his head. Trying to contain my excitement tightly, I smiled at Edward. I couldn't help but think about my upcoming friendship with Bella.

_Can I talk to Bella now? _I begged

"Keep out of it" he breathed out discreetly. I frowned to show him my frustration. He can't keep her all to himself. Bella will enjoy my company as much as I will.

_Fine. Be stubborn. It's only a matter of time. _I smiled.

Oh, and I had to remind him that he couldn't go to biology today.

_Don't forget about today's biology lab. _He nodded.

I didn't want to imagine the damage that would happen if Edward went to class today. Not only there would be twenty students with bloody fingers. But there would be Bella's delicious blood naively exposed a few inches from a ravenous vampire. Not good at all.

Lunch period was very difficult. Not for me per se, but I did suffer. Rosalie's infuriated vibes were attacking Jasper from all sides. And Emmett's worry about Rosalie's steaming anger was not helping Jasper. My husband was cringing next to me. I reached for Jasper's hand and squeezed it tightly. I was sending him my happiness and my excitement and my relief. I felt so blissful that I knew it would help him. Jasper softly squeezed my hand; his way of saying thanks.

Emmett was right to worry about Rosalie. She was really upset. And an angry vampire in a room full of fragile teenagers was extremely dangerous. Emmett placed his arm around her shoulders to soothe her.

"Calm down, please," he murmured. " It is not as bad as you think." He then looked at me inquisitively. "Right, Alice?"

I smiled at him to reassure him. " There's nothing to worry about. Edward and Bella are just talking. And nothing bad will descend from this."

"This is wrong," Rosalie snarled. "This is _so_ wrong."

Jasper, who was holding on to me closely, breathed in and exhaled deeply, weeding the negative emotions out. Subtly, his calm vibes embraced the three of us. Rosalie exhaled loudly, still extremely irritated. But her ferocious anger had disappeared, thanks to Jasper.

" You know, Rose, he loves her, " Jasper stated.

We all stared at him, shocked. He smiled at us. "Yesterday, Edward's feelings for Bella were merely attraction. But something happened last night. He's changed, forever. He loves her."

I clapped my hands and jumped joyfully up and down in my chair. I was elated. Rosalie rolled her eyes at my juvenile reaction and cursed under her breath. Emmett's big smile spread on his marble face.

Edward, my dear brother, finally found love. I could almost cry of joy at this news.

After the last period of class, I skipped toward the Volvo. I felt completely giddy. I loved surprises. Well, not really. I hated not knowing things. But Jasper's surprises were always so perfect, and he was such a precise planner, that I didn't have to worry about looking forward to make sure everything would go as expected. I could just close my mind to the future, trusting my husband blindly, and I could experience the feelings of walking toward the unknown, picking clues on the way, and imagining the outcome like an ordinary, gift-less, vampire. It was so much fun.

Jasper was waiting for me expectantly at the doorway. Emmett was already walking toward the car. From afar, I could see Edward lost in his thoughts in the car. Jasper brushed a stray of hair away from my eyes. I brought my gaze back to him and I smiled widely.

" I can't wait for tomorrow," I said softly.

" I know how hard it is for you to not know what will happen," he grinned, " but I promise it is worth it."

My tiny hand cupped his masculine chin with love. " Oh, Jasper, I know it will be worth it. We will be together, just the two of us!" His eyes shone with anticipation. Rosalie approached us then and we started toward the car.

A vision of me driving a red truck popped into my head. I looked swiftly across the parking lot and spotted the identical beat-up engine as in my vision. It was Bella's car.

"Interesting," I muttered.

Rosalie and Jasper stared at my inquisitively. I shook my head at them and continued walking.

Rosalie opened the back door of the Volvo and slid into the car. A small hint of human scent blew my way. I suddenly realized the girl had been in our car. I felt disabled. Edward and Bella left school early. TOGETHER. I couldn't believe I had missed such an important piece. Even though I enjoyed greatly to be surprised by my husband, I hated that I hadn't seen Edward bringing Bella in our car.

I quickly swallowed the grudge I involuntary felt against Jasper for asking me to not look into the future. It wasn't fair to blame him. I hoped Jasper didn't have time to detect the passing feeling I had toward him. I glanced at him, already calmed down. Jasper's eyes already on me, he smoothly pulled me closer and embraced me. His love literally enveloped my whole body.

I knew it wasn't that serious that I missed this episode in the Edward-Bella drama story. But I was way too curious and way too involved with the development of their beautiful love to not feel angry for missing the details that brought Edward and Bella to our car. I breathed deeply to welcome the positive vibes my husband was sending me.

Once completely serene again, Jasper slid into the car as well. I skipped to Edward's side of the car and reached my hand out for Bella's truck key. Edward stared at me suspiciously while Jasper glanced at me, confused. I briefly glanced back at Jasper and turned to face my brother.

" I only saw that I was," I started, suddenly irritated with all those missing clues. "You'll have to tell me the whys." Edward was being so secretive these days, and didn't share his feelings with anybody, not even me, his confident. I was suddenly thankful of Jasper's talent. At least we were now aware that Edward loved the girl.

Edward suddenly sensed my eagerness and his muscles tensed.

" This doesn't mean-" he threatened.

" I know, I know, I'll wait." I retorted. Edward was still against my future friendship with Bella. But now that Edward had given up fighting against fate. I knew my upcoming closeness with her was as certain as their forging love. "It won't be long." I added confidently. Edward sighed, looking feeble, and handed me the key.

I quickly winked at Jasper and he sent me a kiss through the window. I giggled, my good humor reinstated, and made my way across the lot to the red truck.

As soon as I climbed inside the pathetic truck, I was enveloped with Bella's scent. The sweet fragrance was so present that my throat immediately inflamed. I stopped breathing at once but the burn was already there. I forced myself to think of my upcoming anniversary, trying stubbornly to ignore the wrenching thirst piercing my insides. I put the antique engine to life.

My family followed me to Bella's house. I followed Edward's stare to the bedroom window but couldn't detect anybody. The rain was pounding out so loud. I sprinted to the Volvo in inhuman speed to avoid getting wet and climbed in the backseat next to Jasper.

" Are you okay?" Jasper whispered only for my ears, concerned. I knew he would've sensed the thirst and pain Bella's scent caused me. But I was used to it, just not in such a confined space. I smiled at him and leaned my head against his shoulder. We were home in mere minutes.

On the way inside, I taunted Edward. He still owed me an explanation.

_So you and Bella are ditching school together and going for a joy ride!_ I maliciously thought. Edward frowned lightly, but he couldn't conceal his happiness.

"It's not what you think at all. She wasn't feeling well. I brought her home. End of story." He responded out loud. Everybody else glanced between Edward and I.

"What a ridiculous excuse, Eddie!" Emmett snorted.

_End of story? I think you mean to say it's the beginning! _I teased. A giggle escaped.

Edward rolled his eyes both at me and Emmett. We all entered the house and dispersed to our own pastimes. I turned to Rosalie.

" Do you wanna finish designing your wardrobe today?"

" Not today" Rosalie snapped, flopping on the couch and grabbing the remote control. I slightly frowned at her reaction, and sat at the computer. Rosalie and I had been working on that fashion project for the past three days. Why was she suddenly opposed to it? A touch from heaven warmed my lower back, eradicating the negative feelings inside of me.

"She's in a fowl mood. I can feel anger, disgust and resentment pouring out of her, " Jasper whispered before heading toward the glass back wall where Emmett was setting the eight chess boards to play an elaborate game with him. I glanced back at Rosalie, who was flipping through channels at nauseating speed. I wondered if I did something to upset her.

Jasper cleared his throat discreetly to get my attention. He was loosing to Emmett. I concentrated on the very near future, still avoiding looking too much ahead to my anniversary. Emmett was going to take Jasper's tower with his knight. I mouthed the information to Jasper, who moved his tower back to protect it. Emmett groaned. I giggled inwardly.

Suddenly, musical notes filled the house, and we all froze. It was a sound so familiar and yet so long forgotten. Edward's piano. He hadn't played in decades. My smile grew on my face at the realization that Edward had been touched so deeply by Bella. The voice of Jasper from this morning came back to my mind: "Something happened last night. He's changed, forever. He loves her." My whole family, except Rosalie, seemed relieved by Edward's soft melody. He was finally coming back to us, our Edward.

The music abruptly halted and was replaced by a boom of laughter. Edward quickly broke off and covered his mouth, apologetic for the outburst, as Rosalie stomped out of the house.

" What's wrong Rose," called Emmett after her.

Understanding came over me: Rosalie was upset about Edward's growing love for Bella. I wondered exactly what she thought that sparkled Edward's amusement.

Esme, delighted by the mood change of her first son, prompted him to continue to play. As relieved as Esme, I flew closer and sat on the bench next to him. I added my own harmony to the melody while his hands flew effortlessly across the key to work all the pieces together. I felt a small stab in my heart as my voice lowered a few octaves to follow the melody of Edward's lullaby.


	7. Chapter 7

CHAPTER 7:

ANNIVERSARY

It was past midnight when Edward and Emmett decided to leave for their hunting trip. Edward urged Emmett to leave immediately, wanting to be back at Forks before Sunday evening. My vision of Jasper's friends Peter and Charlotte's upcoming visit worried him enormously. He was scared for Bella's safety.

Jasper persuaded me to run a little while with my brothers and hunt a few deer before our trip in a few hours. I didn't want to leave Jasper behind but understood that he was trying to get me out of the house to prepare something. I reluctantly went a few miles with Edward and Emmett. After we parted, them running further north, I found a herd of deer and fed hastily.

I raced home faster than usual. Anticipation trying to burst out of my chest. Curiosity racing through my veins.

Jasper said he would wait for me at home.

My feet, barely touching the ground, were bringing me closer to my husband at the speed of light. Once in front of our house, I came to a complete halt, anxiously waiting for something to happen. But nothing happened, nobody came. I reached the front door and opened it. Inside, our house was very quiet. I could hear the sound of a pen brushing a piece of paper in Carlisle's study, and the swish of a paintbrush caressing a canvas in my parents' bedroom. Carlisle was working and Esme was painting the image of her beloved first born in the privacy of her room, her unshed tears exported onto the white paper. A decade ago, she had taken painting as therapy in a support group in Paris to relieve herself from her haunting human memories: the loss of her baby boy.

Nobody else was home.

I inhaled deeper, but the beloved scent of the sweet mixture of freshly cut grass, pine trees and trimmed oak wasn't as dominant as it should be. The smell was still here, but it was only leftover from earlier in the day. Jasper wasn't home.

This must be the beginning of the surprise.

I flashed up to our room eagerly. On the bed laid an elegant purple Suzannah cocktail frock. I could smell the Silk Gazar it was made of. I swirled excitedly to it, already overjoyed by the sight of this new piece of clothing.

There was a yellow post-it on top of it. _Slip this on and wait for me. I'll be there soon, my love_, I read silently.

I jumped up and down with delight and let out a high pitch squeal resonate. I grabbed the dress and put it on. It caressed my skin softly as if it was made of water and it embraced my curves magically, making me almost as stunning as Rosalie. I knew exactly what shoes would pair well with it. I animatedly slipped my Chanel ankle boots with open toe. They had the cutest grain bow detail on the front.

It felt good to finally be allowed to dress according to my taste and to not have to worry about blending in. Our anniversaries were always about giving us the opportunity to be true to ourselves, with no constraints and no pretense.

Jasper appeared behind me then, only a few inches away from me. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. My body rejoiced over his presence and every undead molecule of my body felt vivacious. He delicately bent down to kiss my bare shoulder with his tender lips, warming up my marble body. Gradually his lips traveled amorously over my shoulder blades all the way to my other exposed shoulder, sending me millions of electrical shocks along the way. I imagined my dead heart coming back to life.

Jasper then brought his hand swiftly around my neck and before I had time to understand what happened, I felt a cool stone caressing my skin. I brought my hand to the top of my chest. A necklace was there. I could feel in between my fingers the smooth crystal the size of quarter. I gasped and spinned around to face my husband. Lifting my eyes to meet his gaze, I gracefully stretched my little body up on my tiptoes and kissed him. The light in his eyes was more exquisite than any heaven, and I could feel my own eyes sparkling brighter than any diamond on Earth.

"Ready for our date?" he exhaled, wrapping my whole in his sensual breath.

Without another word, I extended my hand and he held it passionately, his eyes locked into mine. He then led me to our open window, never taking his eyes off of mine, and we fluidly jumped out of our window with bubbling joy, landing gracefully three stories down.

There stood a private jet plane.

"Jasper," I chocked.

He started laughing at my astounded expression.

"I wish I could surprise you more often my love. It is such a joy to see your embellished response. And the excitement coming out of you is simply exhilarating."

Our parents joined us in the backyard, hand-in-hand. They were both smiling.

"Alice, Jasper," Esme called, " Happy anniversary." She hugged each of us with compassion. She then handed out a card to us. " Here's a little something from your farther and I. I hope you'll enjoy."

I curiously took the card and was about to open it when Jasper hastily snatched it from me. Carlisle slightly giggled.

" Patience is a remarkable virtue, Alice" Carlisle said. " Our gift would offer an important clue to your destination, and Jasper worked so very hard to keep everything a surprise for you. Enjoy this rare occasion you have to live only in the present."

Jasper wrapped his hand around my waist, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Thank you for your gift. You didn't have to." Jasper genuinely expressed.

Carlisle hugged Jasper and then me.

" Have fun," they both wished us in synch.

Jasper guided me up to the jet and we climbed in. Inside, there were only two seats, facing one another. I glanced one more time to Esme and Carlisle, who were waving bye to us, and the door closed automatically.

"Welcome aboard, Mr. and Mrs. Hale. Please sit down and buckle up for departure."

Jasper and I settled down on the leather seats.

" Where are you taking us?" I yelled toward the closed door separating us from the pilot. Jasper jokingly shook his head and I overheard the man on the other side of the door laugh, but he didn't answer.

Once we were high up in the sky, Jasper grabbed a remote control placed next to his seat and pushed a button. Immediately, a beautiful familiar melody filled the plane. It was our song.

I stared at this beautiful man in front of me. This man who adored me and spoiled me. How could I be so lucky, I thought. How did I manage to grab this perfect man who offered me decades and decades of true happiness.

Jasper got up and extended his hand to me.

" May I have this dance," he asked as the true gentleman he was.

I took his hand and stood. His left hand glided down to my waist, confidently pulling my body closer to his. My free hand gently held his shoulder. And then we danced. The air around us was made of love and bliss as both of our emotions were pouring out of Jasper. The blue sky and the occasional clouds passing through the windows were our only witnesses.

We danced the whole way there. After six hours of twirling, whirling, swaying and much cuddling and caressing, the pilot announced it was time for landing. I expectantly watch out of the window finally seeing some forms below that would answer my burning curiosity. And finally, I knew where we were. Rome.

As soon as the wheels touched the ground, I jumped out of my seat eagerly. I was in Rome, beautiful Rome. I hadn't been here in 23 years. The last time, Jasper and I had just come here for an evening to see Rossini's _Il barbiere di Siviglia _at the ravishing opera house il Teatro Argentina. I wondered if he was planning a similar evening again. It had been a melodious and entrancing show, and that evening had ended blissfully. I wouldn't mind an encore.

The automatic door of the jet plane finally opened and I leaped out of it without waiting for the stairs to be placed. In the small airport, a man standing in front of a classic red Ferrari, stared at me in astonishment.

" Signora, are you okay? Did you hurt yourself?"

"Sto bene. Tutto e perfetto." I exclaimed joyfully, ignoring the fact that I just jumped off of a 15 feet high plane as easily as a cheetah. Everything was perfect. Jasper approached, an amused expression on his suave face. He kissed my forehead and whispered only for my ear: "Please contain your excitement. Let's not provoke the Volturi while on their land."

I kissed him back and smiled obediently.

" Signore Hale, here's the key to your Ferrari," the mystified man said, fear in his voice. He barely looked at us. Immediately, I sensed the air feel lighter and brighter as Jasper spread serenity around us. The man relaxed and smiled genuinely at us. Jasper reciprocated the smile and took the keys from him.

"Grazie."

Jasper wrapped his hand over mine and led me to the elegant car.

"Do you wanna drive?" he teased.

I grabbed the keys and ran to the driver's seat. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, inviting the pure leather scent of the seats envelop me.

" I love you!" I rejoiced, looking intently in my husband's eyes as he settled next to me. He laughed.

"So where am I driving to?" I questioned.

"Go north for 6 miles and then West."

I started the car and followed the enigmatic directions. The car flew with ease, the early evening breeze brushing our hair. I made the right turn impeccably, the car understanding each slight move I demanded. Once I headed West on the big avenue, I recognized the neighborhood.

"We're going to the opera." I stated happily, my wish granted.

"We had such a magnificent evening last time. I thought we should repeat it."

I parked the car and we entered the Teatro Argentina, where many well-dressed Europeans were filing in to see Rossini's dramatic story.

Jasper and I were perched in the furthest and highest balcony, a direct view to the orchestra and the stage. The distance did not interfere with appreciating every single detail of their extravagant costumes and make-ups. The songs that reverberated throughout the theater were identical to what my memory held, just as magical and breathtaking. All the while, our eyes glued to the stage, I could feel the electrifying touch of Jasper traveling ever so slowly from my neck, my arm, my leg. He delicately took my hand and played with my fingers. We stayed entrenched by the opera, but I could sense our mutual desire to be closer and to become one arouse in the back of our mind.

As soon as the show was over, our eyes locked and we fled the theater, hand in hand. I gave our parking ticket to the valet and got our beautiful car back. This time I allowed Jasper to drive, still not knowing what the plan was for the rest of the night. But I was hoping it would involve some alone and private time with him so I could show him how much I love him.

Jasper didn't start the car right away. He reached in the inside pocket of his grey vest, and took the envelop that Esme and Carlisle gave us earlier. He handed it to me.

"Now, you can open it."

My eyes shone with excitement. I swiftly opened it and took two tickets out of it. I glanced up at Jasper who was intently observing me.

"Two tickets for a tour of the Colosseum." I said. I was happy about the gift, but it wasn't as exciting as I thought it would be. Jasper snorted quietly at my reaction.

" It's thoughtful of them," Jasper said. " They remembered how we didn't have time to visit it last time we came."

I nodded. That was true. I had been upset that day because we had planned to go to the Colosseum, but then my vision informed me that the sun would be too bright for us to avoid it. We wouldn't have been able to hide from it. The future images in my head had portrayed scared tourists quickly backing off at the sight of two painfully beautiful monsters. And worst of all, I had predicted that if we had gone, the Volturi would have had to interfere.

I shivered at that thought and came back to the present. Jasper was worried about the emotions I emanated. I smiled at him, recovering from the dreadful visions I had had long ago. Jasper's features relaxed along with mine. I looked out the window. It was dark now. The sun disappeared for the night. We wouldn't have to worry about exposing ourselves now.

"It's a night tour," Jasper stated. " We wouldn't take any risk".

I softly pressed my lips to his. He responded by pushing his face closer to mine, biting my lower lip excitedly. My hands swiftly moved to his hair, grabbing them, bringing my body close to him. I felt him reaching as well, eager to feel our bodies pressed against each other. Suddenly, I had a vision of policeman approaching the car, while I was sitting on top of Jasper, whose hand were buried under my dress, as we were intensely kissing. I immediately froze. Jasper continued to pull me closer, his face snuggling in the crest of my neck. I reluctantly pushed him back.

" We need to stop. The police will come."

Jasper closed his eyes dragged himself away from my magnetic pull. We both leaned back in our seats, trying to control our yearning to touch and taste each other. I heard Jasper taking deep breath next to me, weeding out our yen to be one. When I regained control, I grinned at him.

"So… When is _this _in the program." I said, pointing to him and me.

He grinned back. " Very soon," he exhaled.

He started to engine, glitter still in his eyes.

" Shall we go and see some ruins?"

"Let's go! _Andiamo_!" I exclaimed, giggling.

The traffic was irritating around the center of the city so we decided to park the car and continue on foot. We strolled in the streets of Rome, his hand firm around mine. We listened to the Italian intonation, so different than English. The language seemed so much more lively and honest, but I didn't know if I thought so just because I was feeling so liberated at this instant. I felt utterly happy.

We finally reached our destination. I stared at this impressive monument in front of me. In the United States, it was rare to be reminded that time existed way before I was created. But here, in the old world, I gawk at this magnificent elliptical amphitheatre built in the mid years of the very first century. I was in awe.

Jasper stroked my cheek.

" Let's go inside."

I noticed that they were no lines and that the ticket booth was closed. I quickly glanced at the informational sign, where the hours were noted. It closed at 6PM. It must be around 10 o'clock now.

A man waited for us at the entrance.

" Good evening," he said. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Cullen's children."

We both nodded.

"Come on in." I gestured for us to enter through an open arch. " Enjoy your visit," he said before closing the gates behind us. The man stayed behind.

" Thank you," Jasper answered.

We walked through the rows of arches, and suddenly froze.

" Oh my god, Jasper," I whisper, afraid to make too much noise in this serene silence. The view was breathtaking. The whole amphitheater stood in front of us, strong and big. I felt fragile for the first time in my existence. After drinking in the whole view, we slowly walked to the center of the arena, encircled by this ancient stadium, where 50,000 seats could still be imagined. Our steps echoed softy.

"Isn't this the perfect gift," Jasper whispered, referring to my less than excited reaction to our parents' gift.

" You are my perfect gift," I replied, wrapping my arms around his neck. " But this is amazing."

He amorously put his arms around my waist and lifted me up. The kiss was as monumental as the location. This time nothing stopped us from our desire. We were finally able to profess our love in the most natural form while under the stars, with only historical ruins to witness.


	8. Chapter 8

CHAPTER 8:

THE VISIT

Jasper and I returned home late on Sunday with a renewed energy. Our romantic getaway had been full of dazzling music, kismetic starlight, and zealous warmth. I stared passionately into his gaze before jumping out of the jet plane. My eyes and my emotions said everything words couldn't. They pierced with my love and gratitude to have him as my partner for eternity, and they shone with my undying devotion to assure his own happiness and welfare. He was the pulse of life that my immortal body missed. He was the silent rhythmic beat that my heart couldn't make. He was what made me alive. He was my everything.

As we reached the house, we could hear the family in the backyard. Everybody was home except Edward. The four of them were playing tennis table in the backyard, Esme and Carlisle against Emmett and Rosalie. Jasper and I quickly followed the sound of laughter coming from the back of the house. They were absorbed in the game, both teams were feet away from the tennis table, with six metal balls dashing back and forth with extreme speed and precision. Esme shifted her gaze momentarily towards us, happy to see us back. The next instant, a ball hit her full force on her shoulder.

" Sixty-nine to seventy-one" Emmett announced enthusiastically.

Esme grimaced slightly and turned her attention back to the game, where now only five balls were flying forcefully from one team to the other.

" Let's continue later," Esme said. " Alice and Jasper are back." She caught one of the balls in her right hand. Carlisle nodded and grabbed the rest of the balls, while Emmett frowned.

Esme ran to us and hugged us tenderly.

" I've missed you both so much."

The rest of our family, except for one, joined us and hugged us as well.

" How was Italy?" Carlisle asked.

" Yeah, tell us _everything!" _Emmett added, his eyebrows wiggling dramatically.

I gawked at Emmett with menace and Emmett burst out laughing.

" Calm down, Alice. I was kidding! I don't need any naughty details!"

We all stepped into the living room and settled on our white leather couches. Jasper and I joyfully recounted our journey through Rome, at the Opera, the Colliseum, and our Sunday morning excursion to Milan, where Jasper took me to the fashion district for a shopping extravaganza, before heading back to the jet plane.

When Esme and Rosalie started to bombard me with questions of the shopping districts and the many stores we went to, the men dozed off. Emmett turned the tv on and Carlisle opened his medical magazine. Jasper stood up. I quickly halted mid-sentenced, shifting my gaze up to my husband. He smiled at me and caressed my cheek, sensing my discontent.

"I'm not going far my love. I just want to bring all of your bags upstairs before Peter and Charlotte's visit."

I nodded, still reluctant to have him leave my side. I wanted to feel his warm essence radiate next to me. But I knew Jasper wanted everything perfect for his closest friends' stay. Jasper was eager to have them visit us for a few days and to have friends from the past, who knew the other side of him. I knew it helped him to see Peter and to allow himself to think of these dark periods of his life, this haunted time in the South, which he tried so hard to hide from us, this horrific era which made him feel at times unworthy of my love and undeserving of the Cullen's acceptance and respect, even though I continuously assured him that he was the only one condemning himself for participating in his creator's bloody war.

" When are Peter and Charlotte arriving?" Carlisle asked me.

I looked at the dark night outside the window. In my vision of them, the morning light was slowly breaking through the darkness.

" In two to three hours," I stated.

Carlisle wrapped his arm around Esme, who seemed distressed.

" It will be nice to see them again," Carlisle said.

Jasper came back downstairs and took his place next to me, grabbing my hand in his.

" I don't think everybody is pleased about their visit," he noted.

Esme looked down to her hands, saddened.

" Edward is just worried about Bella's safety. He doesn't mean to insult your friends." Carlisle said.

"Worried is too small a word," Emmett snorted. "He's completely frantic. He's lost his mind. You should've heard him during our hunting trip this weekend. The more he thought about possible dangers the girl could find herself in, the more panic-stricken he became." Emmett shook his head at the memory of his conversation with Edward. "He could barely be separated from her for two meager days!"

"Of course she'll get hurt eventually and she'll die at the end," Rosalie snapped. "She's human, and humans are weak and mortal beings."

"He loves her. And he worries about her the same way we all worry about our love ones." Esme stated. " We all feel undeniably protective of the person who means the world to us. We all should understand his fears because we would not be able to survive if something happened to _our_ soul mates."

As Esme spoke, we all unconsciously gravitated closer to our spouses, holding each other tighter than usual. We all understood the truth behind Esme's words, and just the thought that our loved one had to face any kind of danger made us painfully cringe.

" Peter and Charlotte never hunt in the vicinity of our settlement when they visit. Bella will be safe." Jasper emphasized, breaking all of our involuntary concerns.

" We know. And Edward knows too." Carlisle reassured him.

" But he still believes they might slip and accidentally kill the girl."

I squeezed Jasper's hand once again, hoping I could comfort him. Jasper was offended by Edward's actions. He believed that by belittling Peter and Charlotte's self-control, Edward was indirectly inferring that Jasper himself was a threat to Bella. And that assumption pained Jasper greatly.

"Their visit will go smoothly. Nobody will be drained in Forks these coming days." I informed my family happily after checking into the future.

Soon after, Peter and Charlotte arrived and our family welcomed them warmly, happy to be reunited with old friends and acquaintances. The couple wore simple jeans and tee shirts, both of their blond hair cascading down to their shoulders. Their manners were friendly and they always behaved civilized around us. Their piercing red eyes were the only evidence that they were not like us, that they didn't share the same compassion as us for human lives. My eyes momentarily met Peter's and my thoughts automatically went to Bella. I cared for her, and treasured the knowledge that we will be best friends soon. I shivered at the thought of their proximity to her, and was relieved that Edward was spying on her from the forest and was following her every step.

We all sat on the couch exchanging news and adventures of the past few years since we last saw them. Peter and Jasper were the loudest as they couldn't contain the excitement they felt to see each other again.

Later, Jasper and I went for a run in the forest with our guests. I was worried that we might meet some hikers on the way, but my visions assured me it would be safe. I felt a little guilty that I didn't completely trust them. I knew how much they meant to my Jasper, and to be honest, I was more than enormously grateful to them. I owed them everything for saving Jasper many decades ago. Thanks to them, Jasper was here today, with me. I owed them my life.

While running deep into the forest, Jasper and Peter racing and goofing off, I let my mind remember the stories Jasper told me once. I remembered his words clearly:_ I had been in charge of the newborns and was supposed to kill all of the vampires who had passed their peek and whose strengths had decreased. Peter had been my partner in the job, and Charlotte was one of the vampires awaiting her destruction. But what I hadn't realized was that Peter loved her. I had never felt this unbelievably pure and warm emotion before. I was overwhelmed. And in my surprise, I had been compelled to let them free. The only way they had succeeded their fleet was because I allowed them to. _Jasper had wrapped his arms around me while recounting his story, his voice lower than a whisper. _All I knew, all I had ever felt was pain. In my entire existence in the South, I had only sense dark and horrific emotions. I had never, ever, felt love and compassion until that day when Peter ran away with Charlotte. The sudden burst of warmth and tenderness changed my insight on my existence. This endearing new feeling enveloped me, and my paradigm was changed forever. As soon as I felt this positive emotion run through me, I had a longing for something better. I had hope that one day I would feel wanted the way they longed for each other. But the army, the war, and the violence were all I ever knew and I didn't know how else vampires could exist. I had never met other vampires, who were not part of my world. I couldn't start imagining a world without all this suffering. But Peter and Charlotte came back one day. They said they never forgot about me and wanted to take me away with them. I breathed in their positive vibes and understood that my existence could be better. And so I followed them. They showed me another way of life, which was more peaceful. I learned a new way of being. However, away from all the wrenching emotions of the war, I started to become more aware of people's emotions. And the more I started being in tune with others' feelings, the harder it became to feed on humans. Every time I fed, I hurt inside. One day, I decided to leave Peter and Charlotte. And alone for the first time, I wandered the world, confused and desperate, trying to figure out my place in this world. Then, luckily, or by kismet, I found my way to you, who was already waiting for me, patiently. And that's the day that my existence got meaning. I finally knew who I wanted to be and I knew the world I belonged in. Because you are my world, Alice, and I belong with you._ I perfectly remembered the shivers his last words had provoked inside of me. My nonexistent heart had exploded with joy and love, warm sparkles resuscitating my hard-stoned body.

The memory of these words must have flushed my body with a sense of bliss because Jasper stopped in the middle of a playful arm lock with Peter and looked curiously back at me.

"Just remembering something," I explained.

He smiled and swiftly grabbed Peter by the arm. Peter, who had momentarily relaxed from his defensive stance to chat with Charlotte, didn't have time to respond. Jasper flipped him over himself and down to the wet grass flawlessly. Peter promptly tied his legs around Jasper's ankle and pulled forcefully making Jasper lose his balance and crash to the ground. Both of them were lying on the earth laughing hysterically. Charlotte glanced at me with an amused smile and I rolled my eyes dramatically.

" They are worst than human toddlers! They can't even grow up!"

At these words, we all burst out laughing.

On our way home, we met Emmett who was waiting for us impatiently.

" Anybody in the mood for some old-fashion American football!" He exclaimed. " Come on everybody, we'll have a blast!" He begged before any of us had time to answer.

The whole family, except one, as well as our visitors decided to go to Rainier Field up the mountains to play. Emmett left a note for Edward letting him know where we would be in hope that he would come. Jasper snorted sarcastically and muffled something under his breath against my favorite brother.

We were having a lot of fun but I could see that Esme was feeling anxious about Edward's long absence. She was hoping that Edward would join us after reading Emmett's note. I flashed to her side and gently hugged her.

"He came home to change clothes and saw the note. He wrote _sorry _below Emmett's words. He's not coming." I told Esme, feeling disappointed as well. I missed him. I smiled beside myself. " He's happy around her, really happy. Even if he can't openly be near her for these two days due to the sunshine, his enjoying her presence from afar. In all of my visions, I see a new-found light in his eyes and a crooked smile on his lips." Esme smiled as well. She wrapped me in her arms and kissed my forehead.

" Thank you, Alice."

We played football for a few hours longer and then decided to head back home. On our way back, I had a vision of Edward driving to Port Angeles later to follow Bella and her classmates. Once again, I felt pained to think that she was hanging out with Jessica and Angela instead of with me, and above all, that she was going to go shopping with them today. They didn't even understand fashion! I felt glum. Every day, I had new images of how Bella and I would be close, and it hurt to not be allowed to reach out for this pleasant foresight. Jasper wrapped his hand around my waist to comfort me.

" What are you sad about, my love?"

" I miss Bella."

Jasper kissed my temple and rubbed my back in silence. I knew Jasper didn't quite understand my feelings toward Bella. Jasper and Rosalie were similar on this subject: Bella was just an insignificant human. But I also knew he respected my feelings and didn't want me to suffer.

Home, we gathered once again in the living room, getting ready for Peter and Charlotte to leave. Suddenly, Edward entered, not acknowledging any of us, and headed straight to the piano. Seeing in reality the bright light in his eyes and the crooked smile on his lips, I felt all cheered up. As long as Edward didn't resist against his feelings for the girl and embraced this love he had for her, I knew that Bella and I would soon be friends.

_Have fun in Port Angeles tonight. Let me know when I'm allowed to talk to Bella._

Edward's smile grew slightly as he played an old tune more intensely.

I turned my attention back to Jasper and his friends. They were all standing near the door now, already shaking hands with Carlisle and Emmett. I reached closer and hugged them tenderly.

" Have a great voyage," I said. " I hope this time you won't wait six years to stop by. It's so nice to see you and Jasper fool around."

" I agree, six years is too long without seeing my brother. But we know that he is in good hands with you, Alice. We've never seen him as peaceful as he is when around you." Peter noted.

Jasper placed the palm of his hand against my back as a confirmation of Peter's words. I smiled despite myself at the knowledge that I was capable of making Jasper as happy as he made me feel.

" If you see Maria again tell her I wish her well," Jasper said emotionless. I unintentionally shivered at the mention of her name. She was their creator. Not only was she the one who started that bloody war in the South, she was also the one who had ordered them dead. I couldn't deny that I was scared of her. She was fierce. She had found us once and visited us in Calgary. It had been a horrible visit. She purposely fed right in the town we had settled in and the residents were quickly pointing fingers towards us. We had to flee immediately.

" I don't imagine that would happen soon," Peter answered. "But should it happen, I certainly will," he added with a laugh.

Edward ended his song and stood up.

" Charlotte, Peter," he said to our visitors, his first words to us in days.

" It was nice to see you again, Edward," Charlotte managed to say, unsure.

Peter and Charlotte glanced curiously toward Edward once and left.

Edward let out a loud exhale. I knew he was still wary of their proximity to Bella.

_They're going straight east, to Seattle. Nowhere near Port Angeles. _I reassured him, showing him the vision I got of Peter and Charlotte running through the forest near Seattle. Edward pretended he didn't hear me. I knew he was still going to follow Bella, not to assure her safety but because he was completely obsessed with her.

At that instant, he ran out the back door to the garage without even a good-bye.

" Where is he going?" Esme wondered.

" To Port Angeles, to spy on his sweetheart," I giggled.

The rest of my family stared at me, half amused, half concerned for Edward.


	9. Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9:

A MISSING VISION

Jasper had a smile on his face and a positive aura floating around him. I sighed softly and let myself slither down next to my Jasper on the couch. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close.

"Home, sweet home," he whispered. I looked into his eyes, two bright suns. I smiled and leaned my head on his shoulder.

Peter and Charlotte were far gone, and Edward was almost reaching Port Angeles by now. The rest of my family had time to process my joke about Edward's stalking Bella's every moves and were now occupying themselves with different hobbies.

When Edward had dashed out of the house, I had envisioned my family making the choice to comment on what I had said. Rosalie was going to be the first to speak her mind and her words the most disgraceful of all, but Carisle had gently ordered us to let Edward be, and all of my siblings' nasty comments and dark jokes erased from their minds.

Esme entered the front door holding a gigantic vase full of tulips and daisies. She looked at both of us cuddling on the couch and smiled.

"It's nice to have you back." A small hint of sadness flickered through her honey eyes.

" We were only gone for a weekend, Esme."

" I know, I know. I'm being a silly mom," she giggled and walked into the kitchen. I heard the vase touch the marble counter and the back door slide open. Esme glided out and ran into the forest. I looked up at Jasper, who was now wearing a small frown. He squeezed me harder and kissed my nose.

" I think she misses Edward. And with both of us gone for three days," Jasper started.

" Oh…poor Esme…" I let out. We shouldn't have gone away while the family was unstable. How did I allow myself to glow and relish in Rome while my family was going through a crisis.

Jasper warmly cupped my cheek in his hand and lifted my head so my eyes could meet his.

" Please don't make this more than it is. Esme is fine, even if she misses Edward. And Edward is actually more than fine, even if he's lost his sanity." Jasper shook his head in bewilderment. I giggled. Jasper's confusion was a funny sight, with his elevated brows and wrinkled eyes. " Are you sure there are only two plausible futures for them? I trust you but I really don't see how it is conceivable."

I didn't want to have this argument again. I knew what I knew and, therefore, I was completely confident about the future. So yes, there were still two clear paths for Edward and Bella, but the one dark painful option will not happen. And so I ignored it. There was only one true ending to this story. Edward and Bella will be together for eternity and I will have a best friend and a new sister forever. Yes, I was sure of my visions.

" Jasper, trust me. My visions are as clear as you standing right next to me," I grabbed his face in my hands. " Edward and Bella will find a way to be together. Safely. And we will ALL be fine. Forever."

Jasper stared at me for a split second to see the truth in my eyes, as if he couldn't sense my assurance and certainty. He then leaned in and kissed me. I let myself melt in his touches.

" Jasper," Emmett exclaimed from outside. "Haven't you had enough Alice time! Come and play with me!"

Jasper and I giggled, our lips still locked.

"In a minute," Jasper answered.

"Come on, bro! Hurry!" Emmett whined.

I pushed Jasper away a few inches. "Go and have fun! I have to unpack anyway," I whispered. Jasper pulled me closer again and pressed his lips against mine. "He can wait a little," he whispered back, his breath descending down my throat like a delicious aroma of Evergreens and mint.

"Man, stop kissing her and get your butt over here. You two are worst than Rose and I! It's nauseating!"

Jasper gave me a last tender kiss and got up. I swallowed his scent, my eyes still closed. I heard Jasper run outside and tackle Emmett, who bounced right up and raced after my husband to the mountain.

After I recollected my mind from Jasper's kisses, I rose up from the couch and glided upstairs to my room. I hadn't even been back in my room since we returned from Rome two days ago. Jasper left my shopping bags on the bed and had already put his new clothes and shoes away. I jumped into the bed, knees first, to look into all of my bags. I opened the first box and took out a pair of seductive pump shoes. They were these incredible, sassy Mario Bologna open toe heels, with gray crocodile patent leather and white piping, which came straight from the 1940s glamour. I took the rest of my new possessions and marveled at each new garments and accessories before putting them away into my walk-in closet.

I heard some light steps approaching my door slowly before halting all together. There was no more noise on the other side. I waited a moment to see if Rosalie would leave, but she stayed motionless in front of my door. I could see her changing her mind between either knocking or going back to her room. She was indecisive so I called out to her.

" Rose?"

" Can I come in, Alice? Or is it not a good time?"

I flew to open the door and there stood my beautiful sister. She didn't look into my eyes and entered the room delicately. I closed the door and followed her back to my bed. She sat down at the corner and looked at the few items still spread on my bed.

"Rose," I said warmly. "Do you need to talk about something?"

She glared at me. She didn't like to be soothed.

"Don't you already know!" she accused.

I quickly looked into the future. Rosalie had decided to question me about the family's future, and most importantly about how we can change Edward's faith and go back to the way we were.

I sighed and came back to the present. Rosalie was playing unconsciously with my newly purchased Rodo evening clutch. The Swarosvki jewels reflected against Rosalie's perfect skin like they were both made of the same glamorous diamonds.

" Alice, please don't doubt that I trust your visions. I trust you wholeheartedly. But… I don't understand your contentment in its development. I overheard you earlier speaking with Jasper, and I can't see how we will all be fine."

I looked at my sister and tried to understand what really worried her. Did she understand the true possibility that Edward and Bella's lives could have a horrific ending, which would drag us all down to hell with them. I tried to erase the visions of Edward running away with the lifeless carcass of Bella in his arms, blood still dripping down the side of his lips. His thoughts were only directed towards ways to join her in death. He would kill himself if Bella died.

I shivered involuntary.

" Alice? What are you seeing?" I shook my head and smiled at Rosalie. I've hid the misery that the _other _future would provoke and never gave any details to any member of my family about it. I've only informed them that there was an equal chance that Edward might kill Bella, but never hinted to the consequences that Bella's death would cause to our family. I knew some of them would be pleased to finally have a legitimate reason to prohibit Edward from following his heart, and so I wasn't going to share these gruesome images with Rose today.

"We have nothing to worry." I said vehemently, trying to convince her as much as myself.

Rosalie groaned. " Edward has never been attracted to somebody and this hasn't changed. He's just mislabeling his intense thirst for her blood as love. He doesn't know what romantic love is. He never felt it before. And now he met this girl who touches his senses in new ways, his animal senses nonetheless, and he believes she's the one. How ridiculous this is!" Rosalie threw her arms up and stood up promptly. I got up as well and grabbed her by her shoulders.

"Rose, I've seen them both in love in the future. And Jasper, who knows very well what love feels like, sensed Edward's love for Bella. The feeling is real. He loves the girl. It isn't solely her blood that attracts him, it's her whole being. She _is_ the one for him."

Rose pushed my arms off and rolled her eyes, angry. "So tell me, what does he do when he leaves us? I wanna know how pathetic he is."

I giggled and plopped myself back on top of the bed. " Pathetic is not even descriptive enough. Edward is so pitiful and yet so strong and passionate. You should see him perched for hours in his tree like a monkey, gawking into her little bedroom listening to her complete her homework."

Rosalie's expression relaxed. "How does he not get bored after a while?"

"He doesn't really care what she's doing and even if she does nothing at all. He can stare at her sleep for eight hours straight and not even blink once. He's utterly mesmerized by her. The rhythm of her heartbeat, the pattern of her breathing, her array of facial expressions, the way her hair flows, the sound of her voice… Everything!"

"Mhmm," Rosalie reflected, " it actually sounds like he's in love with the brunette." A smile spread on her porcelain face. " He fell really hard poor thing," Rosalie added, a twinkle in her eyes. I smiled back at her.

" I told you, he's worst than pathetic!" I burst out and we both started laughing.

Rosalie shook her head and gave me a serious look. " I still think it's wrong, Alice. Vampires can't be with humans. It's not natural. Only bad things will come from it, whether it be that she's killed or that she becomes one of us, both futures are wrong."

The entrance door opened, interrupting our conversation, and our parents came in. We heard Esme talking with Carlisle about an interesting exhibit at Le Louvre in Paris. She sounded cheered up and in a better mood.

" Let's go downstairs. Maybe Esme would like to join us in creating that new wardrobe for your bedroom," I said.

The whole family, except one, was reunited in the living area. Jasper and Emmett were examining a map of the world, discussing the best hunting regions. Carlisle was watching the news. And Esme, Rose and I were concentrating on the last necessary touches to perfect Rosalie's wardrobe.

Suddenly, a vision of Bella in a dark alley washed over me. I gasped and Jasper was at my side instantly. The rest of the family froze.

"Alice, my love, what happened?"

I could see Bella's frighten face while three disgusting men closed in on her. I didn't linger on the following visions, which became more violent and disturbing. I quickly grabbed my phone and dialed Edward's number. Before the first ring, the visions changed. I saw a silver Volvo appearing in the dark alley, screeching to a halt in front of the criminals. I sighed, relieved once more that Edward was following Bella's every moves.

I heard Edward's voice coming from my phone: _I can't answer the phone right now. Please leave me a message and I'll get back to you._

"Edward! How's Bella? I hope she's okay. I'm…I'm so sorry for not seeing it earlier. Please call me back. I want to know how she's doing." I hung up.

Esme was on my side, worried. "What happened? Is the girl okay? And Edward?"

I looked at my family, all their faces distorted by anguish.

" Everything's fine. They're fine now. Edward got there on time to save her."

" To save her? What happened this time? An airplane tried to land on her?" Emmett exclaimed. I glared at him, and he pinched his lips together and lowered his eyes.

" Did she get hurt? Should I go?" Carlisle asked.

I saw Edward driving away with Bella next to him. She was rambling about Tyler and the prom.

"No, Edward got there on time. No damages were made. And you know Edward would call if he needed help." Carlisle nodded. Jasper caressed my hands gently. I squeezed his hands and then gently dropped them. I needed to be alone. I got up and left the room. I sprinted to the river and sat there on a big rock. The sunset gave the air a fiery tint.

Once alone, I allowed the guilt to envelop me. How did I miss such a crucial thing? What kind of a friend can I be if I don't even care to check her future? And what kind of a sister am I to allow agony to drown my brother?I couldn't stop seeing all the images of Bella's attack, and of the aftermath of it. Everything was dark, pain and sorrow. These milliseconds in which I foresaw Bella's attack tore me apart. The fear in her chocolate eyes cut me like blades. The misery that would've ensued from my lack of concentration was gut wrenching. The whole family would've suffered from this event. But no one more than Bella. The Bella I will share all my secrets with. The Bella that makes my brother smile like never before. Oh my, how did I miss this? How feeble my talent was if I couldn't use it to save the people I love! I needed to stalk her future as much as Edward must follow her around.

I heard steps approaching. I knew who it was before he started talking.

"My love, please don't wallow in guilt all alone. I won't allow you to blame yourself." Jasper crouched down in front of me. I could feel his eyes on my face but I kept my eyes down. He pulled my face against his chest and caressed my hair tenderly.

" Jasper, I… I should've seen it coming. How did I miss something so crucial?"

" But she's fine. That's all that count."

"Edward almost didn't make it on time, and it's my fault. Oh Jasper, if only you knew how drastically our lives would've changed if she were attacked. We would've all suffered from it."

"But why dwell on _would've_ and _could've_. It hasn't happened. We should be relieved. The girl is okay. Edward is okay. And the whole family is okay."

The rock in my chest became softer and my muscles relaxed. A sense of relief washed over me. I gazed up at Jasper.

"Thank you."

I stayed in Jasper's arms, remembering that Bella was safe with Edward. I spied on them a lot that evening. I saw Edward offering to take Bella to the restaurant before driving her home, Jessica and Angela leaving them behind. I heard Edward ask _" Do I dazzle you?"_ and saw Bella blush before answering shyly _"Frequently."_ I smiled and Jasper tightened his hold on me. Then another vision of Bella came, her deep eyes shimmering with trust. _" I feel very safe with you,"_ she admitted to Edward.

" They're having their first date at a very romantic Italian restaurant," I informed Jasper.

" Sometimes I wish I could take you on a conventional date, like in the movies. A beautiful candlelight dinner with a bottle of champagne."

" We could still do it. Let's just have a glass of blood instead and each have a deer on our plates." I giggled and Jasper joined in.

" My silly Alice, I love you so much." He pressed his lips to the top of my head.

" I love you more," I chided. I tilted my head back and reached for his lips.

I leaned back against his chest and focused once more on Bella. _"Let's say, hypothetically, of course, that… someone… could know what people are thinking, read minds, you know – with just a few exceptions." _I could see Edward deciding on whether to play along and be truthful or ignore her interrogation. And then, here it was, the whole future became clearer. Bella will know what we are tonight. Edward and her will be together. And I… I will finally be introduced to her this week. Hundreds of happy images washed over me. Bella sitting in my bathroom while I brush her long brown hair. Bella and I at the mall. Me hugging Bella in our kitchen. Bella and I laughing in the school hallway. The future visions will soon be the present.

Jasper and I heard the Volvo miles away. Edward was on his way back.

" I'll wait for him on the porch," I informed Jasper. He nodded and lifted us up. We walked hand in hand toward the house. Once on the porch, he left me behind and went inside. I sat down and waited for Edward. He was planning on discussing with Carlisle how to get rid of the criminals who almost hurt Bella.

I heard Esme inside the house ask Jasper how I was doing.

" _A lot better," _He answered.

Edward arrived and pulled the car in front of the house instead of parking in the garage. He wasn't planning on staying long.

" Carlisle's in his study," I told him.

" Thank you," he replied, no blame in his voice. He tousled with my hair as he passed by me.

_Thank you for returning my call, _I teased.

"Oh. Sorry. I didn't even check to see who it was. I was…busy."

Guilt revived inside of me. "Yeah, I know. I'm sorry too. By the time I saw what was going to happen, you were on your way."

"It was close," he murmured, reminding me of the horrific visions I had had.

_Sorry, _I repeated, shame boiling inside of me.

" Don't be. I know you can't catch everything. No one expects you to be omniscient, Alice."

"Thanks."

"I almost asked you out to dinner tonight. Did you catch that before I changed my mind?

My imagination from earlier came back, with the glass of blood and the deer on my plate. I grinned. "No, I missed that one, too. Wish I'd known. I would've come."

But there was one thing I wanted to talk to him before he headed up to Carlisle. I looked at him seriously now. _I paid better attention later, _I pointed out to him. _Are you going to tell them that she knows?_

Edward sighed. "Yes. Later."

_I won't say anything. Do me a favor and tell Rosalie when I'm not around, okay?_

He flinched. "Sure."

_Bella took it pretty well, _I marveled.

" Too well," he complained, however unable to hide his own glow of happiness.

I grinned wider. _Don't underestimate Bella._ I showed him how she will accept me as well as him. Edward became impatient and sighed heavily before heading up to the door.

"Alice," he started. I cut him off already knowing he wanted to know how Bella was doing tonight.

_She'll be fine tonight. I'm keeping a better watch now. She sort of need twenty-four hour supervision, doesn't she?_

"At least."

"Anyway, you'll be with her soon enough."

Edward relaxed, his eyes shining down on me.

"Go on, get this done so you can be where you want to be," I said. He hurried up to Carlisle's office. I saw the plan form as Carlisle was thinking. No killing was involved in punishing the criminals, just basic legal justice. Carlisle will find the human monsters and call the police who are searching for these serial rapists. The plan was brilliant in its simplicity. I already saw their disgusting faces in jail for life.

Carlisle and Edward both came downstairs and to the car in silence. I grinned at them and waved good-bye. I appeased Edward by showing him the result of tonight's mission. I also added the vision I had of him in Bella's bedroom in an hour. He smiled back at me before they sped toward Port Angeles.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey everybody, I hope you're enjoying your summer. Thank you to all of you who's been reading my story and added it as a favorite or requested a story alert. **

**So I was looking at the development of my story, and I realized that I wrote more than 30,000 words! I never thought I would actually write that much! This is so exciting! **

**And for this 10th chapter, I was wondering if we could add reviews to my story! Why not 10 reviews to celebrate my 10th chapter!**

**Thanks again to all of you who's been following this story along with me :)**

CHAPTER 10:

Knowledge &Truth

Jasper and I were walking back home from a short hunting trip. Jasper still needed to feed more often than the rest of us to alleviate his burning thirst. Now, the sun was slowly rising, and a few rays sneaked in between the clouds to brighten the damp forest.

Jasper had been very thoughtful our whole ride and I felt concerned about what was bothering him. Since Carlisle and Edward drove off on their mission, Jasper kept quiet. I wondered if he was disagreeing once again on how Edward was handling the situation. I didn't want to argue with him once more. It was frustrating how the whole Edward and Bella story was affecting my relationship with Jasper. We never disagreed on important issues before, and now, it was as if we had opposite opinions on everything.

Jasper enveloped my hand in his and stopped walking. I peeked up to see two beautiful eyes intently staring at me with concern.

" Why are you feeling so worried?" he breathed out.

I shrugged my shoulders. " I'm just being silly. It's nothing." Jasper frowned, his eyes still questioning me. I took a big breath. " I think that you're disapproving of Edward's actions, and that since I support him, and even encouraged him numerous times to continue his quest, you are not happy with my own behavior. And, I don't want to fight with you. I hate when you're mad at me." Jasper didn't let me finish my rant. He pulled me close against him and wrapped his arms tightly around my waist.

"Alice, I could never, ever, be mad at you. And I don't want to fight with you, ever!"

I smiled up at him. The bright light in his eyes pierced through me.

" Good. Let's never fight then."

He reciprocated my smile. " Deal." He said before kissing my forehead.

We made it home, both feeling relieved and content. Carlisle, Esme and Edward were watching CNN. The coverage on the story of Bella's offenders was only a few seconds long. Edward was listening intently to the newscasters as they described the arrest made possible by an anonymous source.

" The coverage here in town will be light. It's too far away to be considered of local interest," I informed Edward. " It was a good call to have Carlisle take him out of state."

Edward nodded, and then got up, deciding inwardly to go back to Bella as soon as possible.

"Alice, do you mind-" he started to ask me.

" Rosalie will drive. She'll act pissed, but you know she'll enjoy the excuse to show off her car."

He grinned back at me. "See you at school."

I could see him with Bella, and once again, I longed to meet her. Edward's grin turned to a grimace as he realized my wish. He was still hesitant about introducing Bella to me. Maybe he was right, one vampire at a time around her was safer.

_I know, I know. Not yet. I'll wait until you're ready for Bella to know me. But you should know, though, this isn't just me being selfish. Bella's going to like me, too._

Once again, Edward ignored me and ran off. Fortunately, I didn't feel as anxious and frustrated about meeting Bella as before. Now, I knew it was going to happen very soon and all I felt was excitement. I already felt like I could tell her anything. And I truly believed that Bella needed somebody with whom she could talk openly to about her feelings toward Edward and her questions and worries regarding her whole new discovery of the supernatural world. This girl definitely needed a true friend right now.

Emmett, Rosalie, Jasper and I drove to school in Rose's red convertible.

" Thank god Edward is acting like a lunatic! I've missed driving in an authentic car! Don't you agree, baby?" Emmett exclaimed from the passenger seat.

Rosalie, who was driving at high speed, didn't answer. Nevertheless, she glanced at her soul mate with sparkles in her eyes.

We got to school early and there weren't many people in the parking lot. The few students already there stared at us, or should I say at the car, with wide eyes and open mouth. Rosalie was trying to hide her enjoyment but I still noticed a small smirk on her face.

A vision of Bella in the near future gawking at Rose's car in a similar way than these students made me smile. But what was she wearing! She was wrapped up in an appalling green baggy sweatshirt that made her delicate skin look sickly yellowish. Oh yes, she definitely needed me.

The four of us entered the building and went to class. The morning was as uneventful as usual. In the boring hours that ensued, I focused on my visions of my upcoming friendship with Bella, now thinking mostly of clothes I could buy her. I played around in my head with new hair makeovers, envisioning which would best fit her heart-shaped head. She had enticing deep brown eyes and her figure, however still not completely developed, could be very sexy if adorned with the perfect attire. I could help bring out her natural beauty and make her smoking hot. Edward would love that, even if he would deny it.

Fifth period came and I joined Edward for gym class. He looked upset and I slightly frowned.

_What happened to you? Are you okay?_

He didn't answer nor showed any sign that he had heard me. He seemed to be lost in his own thoughts.

We both apathetically pretended to play badminton as a team against weak, slow-moving humans. While Lauren retrieved the birdie that she missed, I twirled my racket around, peeking into the near future to answer my own question to why Edward was irritated. I saw him and Bella walking toward the cafeteria together. They were silent and both appeared a little wary but still very thrilled to be together.

Coach Clapp let us out of class early. I wanted to question Edward one more time about what was worrying him but he was already on his way to Bella's class.

_Enjoy yourself, _I told him. _Just a few days more to be patient. I suppose you won't say hi to Bella for me, will you?_

He shook his head, annoyed.

_FYI, it's going to be sunny on both sides of the sound this weekend. You might want to rearrange your plans._

He continued walking away from me, sighing uselessly to mark his annoyance. I giggled while heading to the gym locker room.

I swiftly changed clothes. When I got out, my husband was waiting for me. I took the arm he offered me and walked blissfully with him to the cafeteria. We joined Rose and Emmett on line to buy some intriguing human food that we wouldn't eat. I always wondered what pizzas and apples would taste like as a human. I used to be angry at all these human sensations that I would never experience. I interrogated my family for decades about their human memories. I would ask them countless times to describe to me detail by detail what it was like to eat, to be cold, or to fall asleep. For decades, I studied humans, sitting in parks or restaurants, looking at people sneeze, yawn, or cry, and listening to their heartbeat. It was a strange feeling to have no memory of my own humanity. All I've ever been was a vampire. But I did grow to be an eighteen years old girl before being transformed. I still wondered why I couldn't remember anything of my prior life.

The four of us sat down at our usual table in silence.

" I presume Edward won't sit with us again today," Jasper guessed, eyeing my relaxed features.

" He and Bella will be eating together from now on," I informed them.

" How long is this stupid charade will go on for?" snapped Rosalie.

" How long will it take _you_ to accept that this is for real, Rose!" I retorted bitterly.

Jasper rubbed his palm against my lower back and I calmed down. My sister was still fuming on the other side of the table.

"Rose, I'm sorry. I understand your views that this is wrong."

" Not only wrong, but dangerous too! For all of us."

Jasper nodded.

" Alice, we all want Edward to be happy and to finally find love," Jasper started.

" And we all want him to finally get laid," Emmett busted out.

We all rolled our eyes and ignored him.

"But you have to see the danger that being so close to a human will cause us," Jasper continued.

"There are no danger for us," I stated. The only person facing danger was Bella.

Edward and Bella entered the cafeteria at that instant, and we stopped talking. We never had those arguments when he was around. They reached the front of the line to purchase food.

" What are you doing? You're not getting all of that for me?" Bella uttered to

Edward.

Suddenly a vision came to my mind: _Rosalie growling vehemently. Jasper losing control on his gift and aimlessly spreading fury. Students screaming everywhere. _I came back to the present quickly, panic rising inside of me. Jasper immediately wrapped his arm around my waist, sensing the worry in me.

I started plotting how I could change the near future from becoming total chaos. I needed to find what triggered Rosalie and Jasper's anger. I was certain it had to do with Edward and Bella. I glanced toward them. They were sitting at their new spot.

" I'm curious. What would you do if someone dared you to eat food?" Bella teased.

A new vision popped: _Rosalie stared straight into my eyes with resentment. "She knows!"_

Damn it. Edward never informed them that Bella had discovered the truth.

I quickly envisioned the outcome of several plans I chose to implement. _If I decided to head over to their table to warn Edward, the result would be worst as Rosalie would leap toward Edward at inhuman speed to attack him. _I shook my head and swiftly chose a new strategy. _I tell Rosalie that something bad would happen to her car if she didn't hurry out to the parking lot right away. _The result to this decision was favorable as Rosalie's discovery of Bella's knowledge would be pushed back until home, where she would physically hurt a passive Edward. My third idea was the best one. As soon as I thought of it, I saw that the only damaged good would be Edward's car. And so I carried out my last plan.

I leaned toward Jasper, who still held me tightly, and whispered in his ear. "Could you please stay calm and make sure that we're all calm for what will ensue." Jasper nodded without hesitation and I felt a wave of serenity envelop me. Rosalie's frown disappeared as Jasper's gift influenced her mood. But my sister was very well aware of the unnatural change and glanced at my husband before glaring down at me. I held her stare and waited.

"What's going on Alice?"

Emmett who was planning a romantic outing with his wife, looked up to us, confused. The three of them waited for my reply.

" I have something to tell you and want to be sure that we all keep our calm. We don't need any rash reaction, especially in a room full of human eyes." I explained.

My family was all ears. So I continued.

" Yesterday, while Edward was driving Bella home from Forks, after that horrific incident, Bella revealed something to Edward," I started. " Of course he planned on telling the family about it but he got side-tracked. You know how it is," I giggled, trying to make the subject as light as possible, "new love make you forget everything else."

" Just tell us what it is, Alice!"

" Well, Bella is very insightful, and very resourceful as well. And so she's discovered on her own what we are."

For a whole second, which was a long time for vampires, they stared at me wide-eyed and shocked.

" What do you mean she knows?" Emmett asked

" She knows? And she hasn't told her dad or someone else? She hasn't run away?" Jasper muttered in confusion.

" I've warned all of you that this would happen!" Rosalie added, pounding the table.

I quickly squeezed Jasper's hand so that he would refocus and make sure Rosalie stayed calm.

"Hey, my visions already showed us that she would know what we are and accept it. We just didn't think it would be this fast. We should be happy. It makes things easier for Edward. Now, he can really be himself with her," I added.

" Now he can really be himself with her! I thought you cared for this pathetic girl!"

" It will make everything harder for him, not easier. He will lose his control and focus faster because he won't have to hide all aspects of his nature. But he'll still have to hide his worst trait, his thirst." Jasper said.

I noticed Edward's head snap in our direction. He glanced at Rosalie with an air of guilt and worry then turned back to Bella.

_Sorry, Edward. She could tell Bella knew too much from your conversation…and, well, it would have been worse if I hadn't told her the truth right away. Trust me on that._ I showed him his damaged body fly through his bedroom window. Edward winced.

Rosalie grabbed her plate and crushed it until white powder was all that was left of it.

" This is nothing compared to what I'll do to his Aston Martin!"

" Babe, now is not the time for retribution." Emmett whispered.

" Oh but as soon as we're home, he's dead!"

" Esme will not be happy," I informed them.

" Oh yeah, and do you think she will happy when she finds out that her son has been telling our secret to a teenage human he barely knows. You think she'll be happy that he's putting all of us in danger!

" For the thousandth time, there is no danger."

" What about the Volturi? This is breaking the law, and there are no exceptions in their rule. We will be punished for this." Jasper pointed out.

We all paused for an instant. As vampires, there were very few things we feared. But the Volturi could end us in mere seconds and there were no escapes once they decided our fate. I scanned the future and looked at Italy where the Volturi resided, but there were no indications that they would find out about Bella's knowledge of our existence. There were no sign that they would come for us.

" I don't see any danger coming from them. They won't find out about us."

" But anyway, didn't you see her becoming one of us. Then, there would be nothing to worry about," Emmett said.

" Yes, she will eventually be changed, unless Edward kills her beforehand," I explained once more. At that exact instant, I had a vision, identical to one I had a few days back. _Edward and Bella were sitting in a meadow. The sun was shining and Edward's sparkles reflected brilliantly in Bella's eyes._ I froze at this image.

_Edward, _I called inwardly. He looked toward me and scanned my vision. He seemed pleased with the vision. Didn't he remember what happened next. I showed him the other vision I had had of them in that meadow, of his teeth piercing her skin, of the blood dripping down her throat. Hadn't he made the connection yet?

_It's the same place, _I emphasized. Edward's face became hard as horror struck him.

_Edward, I love her! _I pleaded with him. How could he kill her? It would kill him, too! I felt my little undead body shake with fear and sadness.

Edward turned away from me and ignored my visions.

"Alice! What did you see?"

Jasper was stroking my hair, sending me a sense of safety around me. I closed my eyes tightly.

" I saw him… kill her." I shuddered

I heard a deep sigh of relief from Rosalie and my eyes flew open.

" I guess you can rejoice now. She'll be dead soon and all your selfish worries will be gone!"

"Hey, Alice, don't talk to my wife that way," Emmett intervened.

I could sense Jasper glare at Emmett to defend me.

"Do you really think I'm the one who's selfish here? I told you over and over that this will end badly, and _you_, you didn't want to listen because you want a human friend! Really, Alice, who's the selfish one?"

I was speechless. Rosalie was right. I was selfish. I ignored the truth. I erased the facts that there was a fifty percent chance that Edward would kill her. I encouraged Edward to talk to Bella. I was a killer.

And all that because I wanted her as a friend.

"Alice, let's go to class. We'll discuss further at home, with Carlisle and Esme." Jasper said, pulling me up.

I walked to class in a daze. The only thing keeping me grounded was Jasper's touch. I held on to him tightly and found hope that the vision wasn't final.


End file.
